The stalemate between Ben Simmons and the 76ers is finally over – and the betting market in Philadelphia is higher than ever.
After weeks of anticipation of the NBA trade deadline on Thursday, the Sixers have finally sent the former selection n ° 1 – with Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and two first-round picks – to the nets of Superstar James Harden and reserve Big Paul Millsap.
The deal prompted a swift backlash from Oddsmakers, who had already overshadowed Philly’s title chances in anticipation of Blockbuster’s potential move. The 76ers have seen their price drop to +600 on the Score Bet – adjusted from +1000 at the beginning of the week – while the nets (+450) remain the favorites for the titles.
Sixers finally land Star for Simmons
The big story here is the 76ers, who were clearly a little way off despite the career campaign of MVP favorite Joel Embiid. They found that piece in Harden, a former MVP who had the worst season of his career. The obvious question remains: which Harden will appear in Philadelphia?
The seven-time NBA all-star has averaged 35.2 points and 7.5 assists in his last two full seasons with the Rockets. He was not the same player since he retired from Houston at the beginning of the Season. Although he has averaged 10.5 assists in the NBA since joining the Nets, his striking efficiency has dropped surprisingly, even though he has played alongside two elite scorers.
Sixers general Manager Daryl Morey – who held the same title in Houston to is clearly banking on Harden’s Rockets version. His utilization rates will likely approach his pre mark and perhaps unlock the lethal scorer who led Houston to the conference finals, a milestone the 76ers haven’t reached.
The biggest concern for Philadelphia’s title-seeking years remains after this deal. The 32-year-old Harden has missed 10 of his team’s last 28 games and was suspended for half of Brooklyn’s second-round draft pick. Embiid’s health-issue problems are well documented. Can both stay healthy for the 16-Plus games in April?
Nets’ title favorite
Brooklyn’s title prospects remain virtually unchanged, in part because of Harden’s awkward fit alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Now the nets will turn to Simmons – who hasn’t played since Game 7 of last year’s conference semifinals-to replace Harden as the starter and anchor his sloppy defense, which will start on Thursday, March 20.
Can the nets mask Simmons’ rude inefficiencies in a way the 76ers never could? He will be surrounded by more cracks than ever before in Philadelphia, and his size and playing structure allow Brooklyn to have more flexibility in its lineups than with Harden in tow. Still, Simmons is a massive question mark for a team that is ranked as such a short favorite.
It’s also not the only big problem for this team. Aside from a change in the coming months, Irving will only be available for street games during the offseason. Durant’s availability is also an open question, as he has played in only 36 of 54 games this season (66.7%) and will likely face a significant workload in the postseason as he did a year ago.
It all adds up to the NBA’s biggest Boom-or-Bust proposition for a team that’s clinging to the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference. If the nets are firing the three stars on all cylinders, they are almost impossible to smack. It’s always a tight time window when you bet on a security, especially at such a short price.
