Sixers Bell Ringer: Game 34

For a refresher on what constitutes a Bell Ringer, please reference the initial post.

Bell Ringer Season Standings:

Joel Embiid - 11
Ben Simmons - 9
Jimmy Butler - 5
JJ Redick - 4
Robert Covington - 1
Dario Saric - 1
T.J. McConnell - 1
Furkan Korkmaz - 1

No Kawhi, no problem for the Sixers, who dominated the Leonard-less Raptors for a 126-101 victory. Choose your Bell Ringer:

Ben Simmons: 26 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 block

Efficiency has been the name of the game lately for Simmons, as the point guard shot 11-for-13 from the field with a non-stop barrage of drives to the rim and aggressive forays in transition. He also executed some more diverse actions, scoring off one fake dribble hand-off and even sinking a turnaround jumper. His distributing was outstanding, only turning the ball over once against his eight assists, and really zipping some long passes right on the money. Ben was so good Saturday night, I like to think he just wanted to get a front row seat for his own performance.

Joel Embiid: 27 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block

JoJo must have been licking his chops when he saw Greg Monroe starting opposite him on the lineup card. Embiid had his way early on, tallying yet another 20-plus-point first half; he drew fouls, powered through double teams for slams, and knocked down open jumpers. On a handful of occasions, Embiid pump-faked out of a wide-open 3-pointer at the top of the key and took a couple dribbles in for a jump shot just outside the foul line. After the game, he said he’s trying to shoot less 3-pointers to increase his efficiency. As long as he makes a high percentage of those 17-footers, I’m good with the strategy.

Jimmy Butler: 12 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals, 1 block

It was nothing too flashy from the man who entered the arena wearing a Bet on Yourself hoodie, just a strong all-around performance. Although they weren’t wearing headbands Saturday, Butler and Ben Simmons had a nice connection working, repeatedly finding each other in transition or cuts to the rims for dunks and lay-ins. The fact that the pair (and Embiid) all had technical fouls only speaks to the fact that they’re doing everything together. That’s a little something called team chemistry. Seriously though, good energy on both ends from the high-profile trade acquisition.

JJ Redick: 22 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists

The latest member of the 10,000-points club was en fuego from downtown against Toronto, sinking 4 of his 5 triples. He manages to make incredibly difficult shots, whether curling away from the basket or fading away from his shooting hand, look easy. Redick also made the right play and the extra pass when needed. Just work on getting those end-of-quarter shots off a tenth of a second earlier, JJ.

Jonah Bolden: 4 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 blocks

Maybe Bolden’s effort Saturday night will split the Aussie vote. Jonah was a difference-maker on the defensive end, swatting four Toronto shots, including three in a three-minute stretch in the first quarter. More than that though, Bolden was just very active, closing out hard and contesting well around the rim. His offensive game is still raw (that three-point attempt was ghastly), but Bolden made the case to cut down on his usual I-95 commute.

Furkan Korkmaz: 16 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals

Korkmaz continues to look more and more at-home within the rotation, shooting 6-for-9 from the field and 2-for-5 behind the arc. I love how poised he looks on the catch, throwing up a tight pump fake to watch the defender fly by, then taking a side dribble to reset himself and let it fly. Furkan is active on the defensive end and his length comes in handy. There’s a lot to like in Korkmaz’s continuously developing game.