The Sixer Sense
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2016 NBA Draft: Philadelphia 76ers Staff Predictions

By Josh Wilson

Nov 9, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; The Philadelphia 76ers logo on the warm up shirt of center Jahlil Okafor (not pictured) prior to action against the Chicago Bulls at Wells Fargo Center. The Bulls won 111-88. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 9, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; The Philadelphia 76ers logo on the warm up shirt of center Jahlil Okafor (not pictured) prior to action against the Chicago Bulls at Wells Fargo Center. The Bulls won 111-88. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Ben Simmons.

No matter how I shake it, I find myself drawn back to the same dilemma. Should the Philadelphia 76ers choose to bring the hottest but unconventional commodity of the NBA Draft to Philadelphia, or should we focus on a safer more traditional prospect who fits the more traditional role?

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Fit, with the first overall pick of an NBA Draft, is a far more slippery slope.

I prefer to select the higher ceiling, and trust the myriad of innovative and cutting edge improvements to the Philadelphia 76ers support system to refine that raw potential into an NBA superstar. Much like Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons is an NBA talent anomaly. Basketball Reference Plus Minus index for Ben SImmons of 12.8. While that number does not seem to bury the needle, Joel Embiid’s rating of 14.9 placed him third overall, with Simmons at number four.

But ratings are relative. What does Ben Simmons bring to the Philadelphia 76ers? Quite a bit actually. While his jumper and perimeter shooting have yet to be defined, his offense is certainly a strength — despite playing on a very poor Louisianna State University team. His size and physicality lend nicely to rebounds and blocks, setting up the transition game where he excels at ball distribution. With a post setup player like Jahlil Okafor or Joel Embiid, His offense will draw the double team away from the center, which he can then feed a ball for an easy score. Or, if that is defended, he can flip the ball out to a perimeter marksman for a clean look at an easy trey.

His basketball intelligence rivals that of a point guard, and with his size and athleticism, so will his moves on the basketball court. Any other pick at the number one selection will help the team from that player’s production, but no other pick will elevate the overall performance of the team as well as Ben Simmons. Since the team is chock full of youth, that is a premium value to this team.

— Bret Stuter

Next: Rob Bauer