Can Ben Simmons Lead Philadelphia 76ers In Four Month Season?

Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver holds a basketball while posing for a photo with draft prospects from left Buddy Hield (Oklahoma) , Ben Simmons (LSU), Brandon Ingram (Duke) and Kris Dunn (Providence) before the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver holds a basketball while posing for a photo with draft prospects from left Buddy Hield (Oklahoma) , Ben Simmons (LSU), Brandon Ingram (Duke) and Kris Dunn (Providence) before the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports
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Jul 10, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Ben Simmons (25) protects the ball during an NBA Summer League game against the Chicago Bulls at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 10, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Ben Simmons (25) protects the ball during an NBA Summer League game against the Chicago Bulls at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Seamless Switch From Sergio

Sergio Rodriguez can flip a pass to an open shooter and make it seem easy. Ben Simmons can flip a pass to an open shooter and make it seem easy. Sergio Rodriguez will talk over plays with his teammates, instructing them where they need to be for the pass, and learning where they are most comfortable. Ben Simmons will talk over plays with his teammates, instructing them where they need to be for the pass, and learning where they are most comfortable. Sergio Rodriguez loves to pass off assists, but is a true threat to drive to the basket and score. Ben Simmons loves to pass off assists, but is a true threat to drive to the basket and score. Sergio Rodriguez has an unmistakable beard…

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Okay, that’s where the comparison stops.

Sergio Rodriguez is delivering.  Right now he is sixth in the league with assists with 8.2 per game. That number could easily be over ten per game if he was passing the ball off to more accurate shooters.  At an average of 30 minutes per game, he is seeing less playing time than all but two of the leagues top ten assists.  Curiously, he is essentially a rookie to the NBA this year and has delivered that so far.

Transitioning to Simmons will be seamless. Like Rodriguez, Simmons is an excellent point of origin, finding the open shooter with the ball with a variety of circus passes. Their similarities will be crucial to getting Simmons actively running the team.  With similar styles, Brown can continue to run familiar plays for the team, while gradually personalizing plays to use Simmons skills.