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Too much to Process: Can Simmons match the Embiid hype?
Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

Too much to Process: Can Simmons match the Embiid hype?

The Process has begun to bear fruit, finally, for the Philadelphia 76ers, mainly due to the excitement and abilities of Joel Embiid. But that's not all the Sixers have — Dario Saric has also been excellent in his rookie season, T.J. McConnell is playing better than anyone would have ever predicted, Nerlens Noel is flexing his defensive muscles and, oh yeah, the first overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft is still yet to play.

Of course, speculation is running wild that Philadelphia will continue its recent trend of having its first-round picks sit an entire year (or more) before stepping on the court in game action. Welcome back to the Yardbarker roundtable, where we're anticipating Ben Simmons finally hitting the floor, whenever that may be. And when he does, we wonder:

Will Ben Simmons steal some of Joel Embiid’s shine (whenever he plays)?

Alex Wong: I'm not sure anyone can steal Joel Embiid's shine in Philadelphia this season. The bigger question will be whether Simmons is the second superstar on Philadelphia's roster. The Sixers know — as long as he stays healthy — what they have in Embiid, but if Simmons lives up to his billing at the pro level, then the Sixers can really start thinking about how they can turn themselves into a playoff contender in the immediate future. As for whether Simmons will play this season, I would put it at 50/50.

Sam Greszes: I don't think so. I feel like Embiid will be starting and be starting comfortably once they're both healthy. That said, I think the ultimate plan here is for the Sixers to get both of them out on the floor at the same time, so there's no real risk of anybody biting anybody's style here.

Jason Clinkscales: Simmons may not steal much shine, but only because with the Sixers’ handling of Embiid, it may not be a shock that last year’s top overall pick could be managed in the same way. Embiid’s latest injury is a reminder of why the team has been so cautious, some would still say too cautious when it comes to the in-game minutes restriction. With Simmons, it may be a case of figuring out if Philadelphia can still make a run for the eighth seed in the East before letting him suit up. He’ll definitely play if the team throws in the towel, but if the Sixers are close, maybe he sits in order to ride things out with the current rotation.

Daniel Tran: Ben Simmons will have to play out of his mind in order to steal any sort of attention from Joel Embiid. Heck, Embiid was still making headlines with a cartilage tear by dancing shirtless on stage at a Meek Mill concert.

I watched Simmons during the NBA Summer League, and he has unreal court vision and athleticism. But his shooting leaves a lot to be desired. Even when he provides the occasional highlight, many will be left wondering how much better it would be if Embiid were on the court with him.

Sean Keane: Simmons might steal some of Embiid's shine in the trainer's room, and it's possibly he has a flashier walking boot than Embiid. The Sixers have almost no incentive to play either guy the rest of the way, which should allow Embiid plenty of time to mentor Simmons about social media over a pitcher of Shirley Temples.

Shiloh Carder: Well, he could if he gets on the court. As much as Embiid has been a marvel in his rookie season, Simmons was the No. 1 overall pick for a reason and can do so much on the floor. Seeing how these two interact on the floor will be what people will really want to witness.

Demetrius Bell: I think that Joel Embiid is on the cusp of superstardom. Once they take the minutes restriction off of him, he is going to absolutely unleash the results of The Process onto the rest of the NBA. While Ben Simmons should be pretty good as well, I don't think that Embiid will have to worry about anybody stealing his shine.

David Matthews: I think that Embiid's injury has slowed the Simmons Return Train. The Sixers shouldn't be in a rush to get either player on the court, despite what it'd do for ticket sales. Embiid and Simmons are the future of the team and should be protected at all costs. We've seen time and time again that young players who rush back from knee and leg injuries end up re-injuring themselves a lot of the time. The Sixers don't need Simmons and Embiid to become Brandon Roy and Greg Oden.

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