Simmons and the Rising Tide Effect
I don’t think Ben Simmons impact will ever truly be measured effectively this season. He brings a threat of a triple double (points, rebounds, assists) to virtually each NBA game where he makes an appearance.
But that’s just one layer.
Hoops Habit
His pace, his presence, his passing, will have an effect of making his teammates much more effective – directly and passively. Because he is so quick to pass to the open shooter, players will get cleaner looks and will score more accurately. But that is just the direct benefit. Because he will involve whichever teammate who should get open, each player, with or without the ball, will be engaged in the play at the moment. They will need to move effectively without the ball, set up, and then reposition to the next shot location, until the shot is made.
Much like a football quarterback who throws the ball to all receivers gets the entire offense involved, so too will Simmons force teammates to remain in play. And Simmons is just one layer. Dario Saric has a similar ability to pass, and also a very accurate perimeter shot. So a Simmons to Saric To shoot or to pass to the next shooter can happen in a fraction of a second. Add Rodriguez as a third level to kick the ball out to and reset the play and you have the makings of a lot of ball movement, nearly the “blur” offense from football.
That rapid ball movement will give the set and shoot players a fighting chance on offense now. If the defense remains stationary, the open shooter makes the clean shot. If the defense collapses to the ball, the ball moves to the next open shooter.
Even if Nerlens Noel never learns another shot, alley oops coming his way could kick his offense up another six points per game. That’s just three more shots made, and that’s definitely within the scope of this offense now.
Next: Never Had It This Good