The 76ers have their stars, but nights like this are why depth matters. Against the Charlotte Hornets, Anfernee Simons kept giving Philadelphia exactly what it needed, and in the process he reached a scoring benchmark the NBA hadn’t seen from a bench player in a while.
Simons became the first NBA bench player since Malik Beasley in 2024 to hit five or more 3-pointers in three straight games, according to Kris Rhim of ESPN. He did it against Charlotte by knocking down five triples in nine tries, good for 55.5 percent from deep. He wrapped up the game with 19 points, two assists and three steals in 25 minutes.
That kind of production has been a major reason Philadelphia opened the season 5-1 entering the Hornets game. Simons has been part of the rotation in every one of those first six contests, logging a little over 24 minutes per night while supplying steady scoring punch off the bench.
For the season, he has averaged 10.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists. His shooting splits have been 41.5 percent from the field, 41 percent from 3-point range and 71.4 percent at the free-throw line.
Simons joined the 76ers in free agency over the offseason after splitting last season between the Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls. Before that, he spent the first seven years of his career with the Portland Trail Blazers after being selected No. 24 overall in the 2018 NBA Draft. He was later included in the trade with the Celtics that brought Jrue Holiday to Portland.
In Other News...
Sixers May Have Found A Real Answer When Embiid Sits
Replacing Joel Embiid is never going to be a clean one-for-one proposition, and the Sixers know it. When he sits, the problem is not just scoring, but the way his size and presence change everything behind the play, especially on the defensive end. In that context, the recent game against the Charlotte Hornets offered a useful glimpse at a different kind of solution, one built less around filling Embiids shoes and more around keeping the floor from tilting.
Adem Bona and Jabari Walker looked like a pairing that can give Philadelphia some real stability in those minutes, even if it is not meant to mimic Embiids offense. The idea is more rotational than transformational, but that matters for a team that needs workable answers when its centerpiece is off the court. If the Sixers can keep leaning into that combination, they may have found a practical way to survive the stretches that usually expose them. [Read more 🡒]
Joel Embiid's Status Suddenly Looms Over Sixers Vs Bulls
Joel Embiids availability is again hanging over the 76ers as they prepare to face the Bulls, with the star center listed as questionable because of right foot plantar fascia management. He already sat out the previous game on the second night of a back-to-back, and through the early part of the season he has appeared in five of seven games, a reminder of how carefully Philadelphia is having to manage his workload.
The injury report also leaves the Sixers a little thinner elsewhere, with Dominick Barlow and Ariel Hukporti ruled out. For a team trying to keep its rotation steady while protecting Embiids health, the status report adds another layer of uncertainty heading into a matchup that already carries plenty of weight. [Read more 🡒]
Dean Wade Is Helping The Sixers But One Issue Still Looms
Dean Wade has given the 76ers something useful early in the season, especially on the defensive end and as a connective passer. He has fit into the rotation with real value, and the team clearly sees why he matters: he plays significant minutes, helps stabilize possessions, and has already shown he can make life easier for teammates around him.
The bigger question is whether Philadelphia can get more aggression from him as a scorer. The Sixers pushed Wade to shoot more during training camp, but he has stayed reluctant to let it fly, leaving his points and field-goal attempts low for the amount of run he is getting. If that hesitation sticks, it could cap how much offensive upside the team can squeeze from a player who otherwise has been doing plenty of the little things right. [Read more 🡒]