Let me make things very straight and up front for all my readers. The Philadelphia 76ers have been playing with a chip on their shoulder for the whole season thus far and have been out playing the Los Angeles Lakers in every aspect of the game.
Ben Simmons:
The all-around forward has been dominating in every statistical category, and Julius Randle and Larry Nance Jr don’t stand a chance in a one-on-one match-up. His agility and ability to run on the break causes havoc for the Lakers. Morale is an issue in LA due to Randle being upset with his play time, and it’s created a conflict in the front court.
Joel Embiid:
Despite dropping 46 points on the Lakers, no one on the Lakers depth chart can contain the Kansas big man. With his huge presence in the paint and his three-point range improving, the process has everything the Lakers wish they had in Embiid. Too bad Lakers fans can’t go back in time and grab Andrew Bynum.
The front-court is unstoppable for Philadelphia, and the back-court is only looking more dangerous. With Lonzo Ball not being a factor at all for the Lakers, Markelle Fultz will run circles around the Big Baller once he’s back off from his injury. Lonzo is playing so horrific that he’s making TJ McConnell look good. I mean let’s face it, Ball will end up being a bust in the long run. The Lakers should’ve left this over-hyped piece of garbage back in Chino Hills.
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Kyle Kuzma just might be the overall star for the Lakers alongside a very lanky Brandon Ingram, who looks like he hasn’t eaten in years. Ingram and Kuzma have been carrying the Lakers on their back this whole season, yet Lonzo still gets more credit. The 76ers thrive in every position on the court. Guys like Saric and Covington can even go for 20+ some nights. It just shows how much maturity the organization has and how unselfish Embiid and Simmons are.
Overall, being in two different conferences doesn’t even contribute to the conversation. The Lakers still can’t get out of their losing habits. It’s a sad sad day if you honestly think the Lakers are better than the 76ers.
Is Ben Simmons rookie of the year yet? Be sure to give me credit when he wins the award unanimously.
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