Life was never going to be easy for Ben Simmons against Kawhi Leonard. In the second round against the Toronto Raptors, it was always going to be essential for the Philadelphia 76ers to run a lot of their offense through Jimmy Butler, and for Simmons to elevate every non-lead-guard element of his game.
As the Sixers looked completely outmatched in a Game 1 loss, Simmons was the team’s best player. He showed promise for his first playoff outing against Toronto’s elite defense, providing more value as a cutter and screener, while flashing some positive defense on Leonard during limited possessions.