Ben Simmons has looked more like an All-Star than a rookie this season for the Philadelphia 76ers.Averaging 15.8 points, 8.1 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game during the regular season, the 6’10” point guard surpassed all expectations and arguably put together the most well-rounded rookie campaign since LeBron James.He has carried that success into the postseason, where he has put up 15.7 points, 9.3 rebounds and 8.3 assists through seven contests while leading his squad to the Eastern Conference semifinals.Although Simmons’ entire season has been marked by incredible consistency, he had an exceptionally-awful performance in Game 2 against the Boston Celtics on Thursday night.Scoring just one point, Simmons went 0-for-4 shooting and had five rebounds, seven assists and five turnovers in 31 minutes of a disappointing 108-103 loss in which the Sixers blew a 22-point lead. He simply couldn’t get going on the offensive end. After the game, 76ers coach Brett Brown explained that the Celtics made it a priority to shut down Simmons."What they are doing is taking what the league did [against Simmons] all year and just doing it well," Brown explained. "He's seeing a wall. Early in LeBron [James'] days, that was all he saw. You're going to live with a pull-up, not a layup. And your gonna see five jerseys and five sets of numbers. And I think that the Celtics are doing a really good job in that regard.”Simmons’ previous career-low in points came back on December 2 against the Detroit Pistons.Since Simmons doesn’t hit a jump shot with any consistency and has no range out on the perimeter, the Celtics put an emphasis on eliminating any easy paths to the rim for him. Judging by their success in Game 2, it seems certain that he will see a similar type of defensive structure for the remainder of the series.Therefore, he will need to move on and, most importantly, move forward and show up in Game 3. Luckily, he will have a bit of inspiration.According to Ian Begley of ESPN, Sixers legend Allen Iverson reached out to Simmons after Game 2 to offer some advice. "He just said play the game I know how to play," Simmons said on Friday. "And that's just second nature to me. ... He gave me some words of encouragement.”Simmons claimed that his confidence was not shaken despite the bad performance. "It's very high," he said. "I'm a very confident person every time I step on the floor. So that's not going to change.”

He will have an opportunity to help Philly win their first game of the series on Saturday. If they don’t come out victorious in front of their home fans, they will then face elimination at home down 3-0 in Game 4. Therefore, it’s exceptionally important that Simmons is able to contribute in a positive way early and often.

It will be fascinating to see how the rookie responds to the adversity.

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