Thread by @stevejones20

You know what, let's watch some Sixers/Hawks Game 3.

The benefit of putting Simmons on Trae Young is his ability to navigate screens/handoffs. Hawks have to do a better job of making sure they get a piece of him. Simmons able to fight over the top, Embiid can stay back, no pressure put on the defense.

You see Simmons again able to navigate this screen from Hill. Seth Curry has done a pretty good job this series of showing and recovering to his. Problem is even if you have two on the ball, you have Hill rolling into Embiid. Curry able to get a strip, no overhelp from Sixers.

Capela trying to navigate helping in P&R vs. recovering to Embiid. Harris comes off the screen, left side is empty. Capela in a drop but the drive isn't contained, Harris turns the corner and finishes over Collins.

Sixers made the adjustment of switching the first screen when the Hawks went to double drag. Turned it up a little more here as Harris jumps out and won't let Young come off the second screen. Takes away roll, sends the drive into Embiid, Harris takes Capela. Good defense.

The Hawks have wanted to double Embiid in the post but haven't quite found the rhythm. Here they go with a baseline double but this time it's off Simmons with Collins coming. Issue is Embiid is faced up and can see it coming. Nice rotation to contest.

This pass from Trae Young to Bogdanovic was fun.

Sometimes the aggressive form of Ben Simmons doesn't show up in the box score. Little plays like this can tell you he's engaged. Runs the floor in transition, goes right to the paint, seals Collins. Didn't get it, ball goes to Embiid and the double comes and Simmons hunts Young.

Atlanta mixing in Trae Young in off-ball movement isn't a bad move. Floppy, Young comes off and you see what that can create. Curls, no stunt from Korkmaz, Thybulle trailing, able to drive and get to his floater. Surprised that wasn't a switch.

Simmons being used as a screener/roller is always a fun wrinkle. Handoff to Korkmaz, Collins is dropped back. Roll holds Huerter for a split second, kick to Curry for a good look from 3. That's impact offensively.

Hawks tried to put Korkmaz in action against Trae Young. Huerter goes right into pick and roll. Problem is Capela is closer to the 3PT line than the dunker and Sixers are doing a good job of showing out. Chemistry is off, Young leads the roll, Huerter popped. Steal and a score.

This defensive possession from the Sixers. Watch Thybulle. Embiid stays in a drop, Thybulle shows help off Young to take away the roll and recovers. Sits on the pull-up from Young. On the handoff, Simmons steps up to Bogdanovic, Thybulle pulls over to get the steal.

Sixers have to be careful with the switch in these double drag/double P&R scenarios. Simmons jumps out to take Young who just goes the other way right into a pull-up from 3.

Hawks got a Huerter game and the Sixers responded with a Korkmaz game and I am here for it.

Death, taxes, Lou Williams going left into a pull-up.

Bogdanovic is getting base coverage from the Sixers and Atlanta has to get points out of him to see if they'll shift and he can become a second guy to bend the defense. Attacks the drop, sees Howard still back, Milton trying to recover, gets to the layup.

Shake Milton playing like this changes the math for the Sixers, especially with the second unit/blended lineups.

Sixers tightened a few things up defensively. One thing that remains true is Tobias Harris can't switch on to Trae Young.

Good set from the Sixers to use their talent together. Cross screen for Simmons into the post. Pick the picker with Curry backscreening for Harris and coming off a screen from Embiid. Young holds on Harris too long, Capela engaged with Embiid, open 3.

Sixers go back to the same set only this time instead of coming off the backscreen from Curry, Harris comes off the screen from Embiid. Capela reacts late, Harris drives by and gets right to his runner. Simple but effective.

(Tobias Harris continues to be the secret sauce for the Sixers offensively)

Hawks have to screen Simmons if he's on Trae Young, make sure you get a hit either on the first or go to a re-screen. Young comes off, Simmons fighting over, Capela flips the angle and Young comes off left. Now he's downhill vs. Embiid, attacks and draws a foul.

Sixers use Embiid and Simmons in the post to put pressure on the Hawks. Good double on Embiid, skip to Curry and now it's right into a post for Simmons. He draws attention from Collins, that forces Young to sink on Thybulle, kick to Maxey who scores.

It looks different for the Hawks when Capela actually gets a piece of Simmons when he's guarding Trae Young. The impact is being able to navigate screens which helps the drop. Here you see Simmons gets caught, Embiid is back, Young goes right to a pull-up.

Screening is just going to be important for Hawks if they aren't designing slips. Hawks go double drag, Sixers switch the first screen and drop the second. Adjustment from Atlanta to throw a re-screen in. Gets Thybulle chasing, now Embiid has to come up, Young able to draw a foul

One of my favorite sub-plots of the playoffs has been Joel Embiid just not caring about double teams. Capela fronts, Collins is there on the catch and Embiid rips through both and goes right into a pull-up.

What's interesting is the attention the Hawks are giving to Ben Simmons in the post. Has Collins on him but you see Bogdanovic showing help from the baseline. Simmons sees the help and skips to Curry for 3. Bonus points for Embiid setting a split for Korkmaz.

Wondered during the season if Ben Simmons posting up would be a difference maker offensively in the post-season. Think it's trending in that direction. Way to run action for him, his man can't sag off, etc.

Seth Curry doing Seth Curry things in the playoffs for what feels like the third year in a row.

I mean the *one* place you've got to be locked in on Ben Simmons has to be transition and the Hawks...didn't do that here.

One of the few games so far where Atlanta felt like a young team in the playoffs.

Doc gets a lot of flack but running Simmons post ups with pick the picker and getting three different options out of it. Tip the cap.

Sixers went back to Simmons in the post, with pick the picker action and got a *third* action out of it. Remember Curry had set a pick for Harris once, Harris had faked and come off Embiid once. Here Harris fakes like he's coming off, Curry backscreens for Embiid, lob.

Simmons post work/post hook adds a little bit more to his pick and rolls with Embiid. Capela stays attached to Embiid, Gallinari goes under. Simmons turns the corner, hits first and goes right to his post hook.

This was interesting on both sides. Atlanta has Capela screen for Young. Simmons able to navigate the screen and get under which releases Embiid. Capela goes to the re-screen to get a hit and now watch Embiid go from a drop to the level of the screen. Thybulle helps on the roll.

Past the re-screen I think Atlanta can get something out of setting the screen a little bit lower when possible. You see here Capela screen at the top of the key. Young in a scoring area, Capela has a shorter roll. Bogdanovic's rise takes away help.

I would say put Capela on Simmons and let him have impact helping, etc but....then who on earth would guard Joel Embiid?