When watching Ben Simmons on the court during Summer League play, it’s been clear that he’s the best player on the floor. However, with that said, he must show more aggression to truly elevate his game to the next level.
Throughout Summer League play thus far, Ben Simmons has been nothing short of impressive. His passing skills appear even more developed than many anticipated coming in, and his ability to run the show without any substantial issues is a promising sign for a Philadelphia 76ers team that will likely rely on him heavily as a creator when the regular season rolls around. With that said, there are still some obvious flaws that Simmons has to work around, and the vast majority of those are derived from his stark lack of aggressiveness with the ball in his hand.
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It’s well known that Simmons isn’t a pure scorer. His goal isn’t to come out of the gates firing, nor is he somebody who is going to favor his offensive production over that of anybody else’s. However, when you have the physical gifts that Simmons possesses and a skill level that far exceeds that of your opposition, especially in Summer League play, looking for your own offense is a must in some capacity. Simmons has dropped some special dimes throughout Utah and continued doing so in the team’s first game in Las Vegas, but was often unselfish to a fault and struggled to keep the defense entirely honest at times.
In last night’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Simmons’ greatest strengths were somewhat overshadowed by his most pressing weaknesses in what was a very rookie-esque showing. He made a couple of nice moves in the post on occasion but is still afraid to take jumpers from outside of 15 feet and was hesitant when attacking off the dribble from time to time.
That was somewhat epitomized in a play in which he had a mismatch against Ivica Zubac. The Lakers’ 32nd overall pick took a solid two steps back, leaving Simmons essentially unguarded for what would typically be an easy midrange jumper. Simmons, instead of taking the shot, decided to drive directly at Zubac and dish the ball off to a teammates underneath the basket. While being selfless with the basketball and providing more of a catalyst than a pure scorer is going to be Simmons’ forte at the next level, he’s going to be placed onto an offensively-challenged Sixers squad that will need him to put up more than a couple shots per contest outside of the painted area.
Simmons’ is a versatile defender and a whiz of a playmaker, with a combination and skills and athleticism that don’t come around all that often in the form of a 6-10 power forward. He’ll be able to be Philly’s primary facilitator from the looks of it, and can certainly give them a boost by unclogging the lane to an extent when he’s handling the ball. But allowing the defense to leave you uncovered on the perimeter while they focus on cutting off passing lanes and sealing off the basket is going to limit his effectiveness.
With Summer League being for developmental purposes, there’s no reason why Simmons should be shying away from taking jumper. Finding a rhythm and polishing off his mechanics, even if he misses with consistency, is more valuable at this point than driving into traffic and dishing it to Richaun Holmes at the rim. He has much more room for error on this stage, and he should take full advantage of the opportunities he’s given.
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As somebody with the touch around the basket and uncanny knack for creating opportunities that most people wouldn’t deem plausible from a player with his stature, Simmons should be doing everything he can to demand respect from the defense. As he takes more jumpers, that opens up even more room for him to operate as a playmaker, while giving him more chances off the bounce when facing slower defenders as well. Simmons is going to be a fine basketball player for a long time now, but he could truly be a generational talent if he overcomes his hesitancy to be the main cog on the floor.