Ben Simmons (right), shown driving against Toronto's Kawhi Leonard in the teams' Feb. 5 meeting, offset 28 assists with 24 turnovers in three games against the Raptors star. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
GETTYNo sooner did the Philadelphia 76ers eliminate the Brooklyn Nets from the NBA playoffs on Tuesday night than the first Kawhi Leonard question was lobbed in the direction of the Sixers’ Ben Simmons -- specifically, what he had to do to meet the challenge the three-time All-Star will present when Philadelphia faces the Raptors in the Eastern Conference semifinals beginning Saturday in Toronto.
“Prepare,” Simmons said. “Stay focused.”
And that was it.
Whether Simmons wants to acknowledge it or not, Leonard is as great a measuring stick as any, the ultimate barometer as to what Simmons is and where his two-year-old career might be heading. His ability to get untracked against Kawhi -- something he could not do during the regular season -- will not only go a long way toward determining who wins this series; it could determine the Sixers’ level of commitment to the 22-year-old going forward.
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