HomeFeaturesWhat Made Ben Simmons the Ideal NBA Draft Prospect?

What Made Ben Simmons the Ideal NBA Draft Prospect?

What does it take to build the ideal NBA draft prospect? To develop a young talent worthy of being selected first, a good start would be to mix a center’s height, a power forward’s strength, a small forward’s quickness, a shooting guard’s basketball IQ, and a dash of point guard’s ball distribution. Such is the case for Louisiana State University forward, Ben Simmons.
Post-draft, the Philadelphia 76ers are entrusting head coach Brett Brown to unlock and unleash Simmons upon the NBA, a raw talent that the Sixers are uniquely positioned to develop. Ben Simmons has superior basketball IQ, superior ball distribution, and size and agility which will make him one of the most versatile players ever to arrive in the NBA; but he will need help.
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It’s a foregone conclusion that Simmons will be paired up with center Joel Embiid. While Embiid will start the season on a minutes restriction, he has demonstrated a knack for wowing the crowd even in practice. Paired with Simmons, whose sharp-shooting creates passes to the post, Embiid will be able to work his offense at the hoop. Simmons could opt to pass to Embiid or drive to the basket and shoot.
If the 76ers intend to run the “Pace and Space” offense – the offense head coach Brett Brown learned in his tenure as assistant head coach to San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich – the team needs athletic perimeter shooters who can play defense. Ball movement is a specialty of Simmons, so with his presence, the engine to the Pace and Space offense can purr beautifully.
Besides laser-guided passing and a point guard IQ, what else does Ben Simmons bring to the Philadelphia 76ers? In addition to the “highest ceiling in the draft” consensus by a majority of respected basketball analysts, he also brings offense and defense. Simmons contributes on the defensive end already: He blocks shots, forces 3.6 steals per 100 possessions and, most of all, grabs 30.3 % of available defensive rebounds. There are few players in college basketball who can boast that defensive prowess. Plus, the strategy of how to play Simmons on a very bad LSU team cannot be overlooked: If your star player averages 19.2 points, 11.8 rebounds 2.0 steals and 4.8 assists, you don’t assign that player to be a staunch defender and wear him out or place him into foul trouble. Simmons shot 56% from the floor, and he’s just getting started.
Ben Simmons
Ben Simmons will soon have his chance to play in the NBA, whether he’s a point forward, point guard, or just pointed towards the basket and asked to work his magic. The Sixers were a bad team in the 2015-2016 season, but have plenty of young, improving players already; Simmons is the glue, the player who can pull the team together and elevate the play of others. With the 10-72 season behind them, the Sixers are desperate for some good news. By mid-season, it will likely be obvious that the Sixers are on the path to something incredible, and that this is Ben Simmons’ team going forward.


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