Ben Simmons dropped 18 points, 9 rebounds, and 10 assists last night and quietly flew under the radar. That is because Joel Embiid is a monstrous gift: His 46 points, 15 rebounds, 7 blocks and 7 assists blacked out the sun. There was a gazelle-like Euro step, a double Dream Shake, and easy pullups from three—anything you could possibly ask a big to do on a basketball court.
Together, Simmons and Embiid are rising as one of the best two-man units in the NBA. Among all pairs of teammates, they’re 16th in net rating, behind their own Embiid/Robert Covington pair and nearly every godforsaken permutation of Dubs starters. Last night the two Sixers showed off their chemistry: It’s a joy to large man with handles collapse the defense and slip a perfect pocket pass to another large man with dunks.
On the other hand, it is also a joy to watch one large man throw a one-handed baseball pass some 70 feet to another large man with dunks.
This got the staff wondering: Who is the best half-court two-on-two team you could construct out of current teammates? Surely there’s a premium on size, here. Maybe one day it could be the young Sixers—especially if Simmons gets a jumper worth respecting—but as of right now can anyone threaten the two enormous Pelicans? Or is it Kevin Durant + _____? Are PG and Melo worth mentioning? Do the small Rockets just get squashed and shot over? Any other candidates?