Ben Simmons Might Not Be What the Philadelphia 76ers Need

There is a considerable amount of hype surrounding Ben Simmons‘ Philadelphia 76ers debut — but there’s no guarantee he pans out.

This might be the antithesis of what every Philadelphia 76ers fan wants to hear, but it’s worth mentioning.

Ben Simmons had some very real concerns entering the NBA draft, and those worries could still manifest themselves into problems at the NBA level. In a league that provides so few guarantees, Simmons’ game isn’t one of them — and it may not be what the Sixers need.

I’m by no means trying to say Simmons will be a bust. He’s a special talent, and wields a combination of physical tools and skill that few players can lay claim to. In a league that favors versatility, his passing and mobility fits well, while his game draws comparisons to some of the greatest players ever in LeBron James and Magic Johnson.

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He’s 6-10 and drops dimes like a point guard. He threw together 19 points and 12 rebounds per college as the lead man at LSU, and was oft-heralded as the draft’s unquestioned top talent.

There’s a lot of reasons to have some very high hopes. But that is countered by some negatives that must be overcome — negatives which could hinder his success in Philadelphia long term.

His offense was nonexistent at times for LSU, and that can’t happen in Philadelphia.

Simmons’ lack of an outside jumper has been his Achilles heel since entered LSU last season, and was something harped on throughout the draft. And while those LeBron comparisons don’t necessarily rely on a knockdown jumper, it’s his scoring as a whole that’s more of a concern moving forward.

While Ben showed some very promising flashes in Summer League, that must be prefaced with the simple fact that is was just Summer League. NBA athletes in the interior pose an entirely new challenge, and the soft touch his showcased on drop hooks and pull-up jumpers could come at higher degrees of difficulty moving forward.

Simmons had stints at LSU where his offensive game went quiet, and that’s not something that bodes well for his NBA success. In order to excel as the Sixers’ primary initiator, he has to keep the defense honest with some form of scoring prowess. He should find room as a cutter, but getting out of the flow of the game to such an extent isn’t something successful points guards — or point forwards — do in professional basketball.

His body language wasn’t always positive, and there where times where Simmons’ lack of aggressiveness in scoring the ball kept him out of the flow of the offense entirely. Simply passing out of shots and letting the offense run around him won’t make Simmons very effective in the NBA. He has to attack mismatches, get into the teeth of the defense, and above all else, make sure he stays involved on a consistent basis.

The struggles of being a point forward in the NBA.

It’s tough to do what Simmons projects to do at the next level. He added a lot of muscle this summer, and is coming off an injury that already clouds his status moving forward.

Even in a league centered around spacing and multiple playmakers on the floor, carrying the offense to the extent Simmons has to to remain effective is difficult at 6-10. He’ll put a lot of stress on his body, and his lack of shooting will allow defenses to defend him accordingly.

When you look at players of Simmons’ stature that act as primary initiators in today’s NBA, they’re few and far between. Giannis Antetokounmpo has obviously found great success sans a jumper, but has the type of unique tools that even Simmons can’t really match. LeBron is in a different stratosphere, and expecting Simmons to jump to that level is premature — to say the least.

Perhaps a better comparison straight-up is Julius Randle, and in that lies the problem. Even Randle is extremely aggressive in attacking closeouts and getting to the rim in transition, something Simmons hasn’t shown yet.

Simmons is a much better passer than Randle, but hasn’t shown the mentality nor consistency to thrive in a similar manner. There are massive holes in Ben’s game right now, and he will struggle to adjust if they persist.

The Philadelphia 76ers are moving in a unique direction, and there’s a chance Simmons won’t fit.

Now this is the more speculative section of the argument, but one that holds a lot of gravity in determining how Simmons fits into the 76ers’ plans long term. The team is on track for possibly two lottery picks in the talent-laden, point guard-heavy 2017 NBA Draft, and seem fairly set on establishing Joel Embiid as the team’s cornerstone moving forward.

If the Sixers do land their hands on someone like Markelle Fultz or Dennis Smith Jr., that could jeopardize Simmons’ utility. Both those prospects project higher than Simmons, and are the type of ball-dominant playmakers that simply wouldn’t work as well playing off the ball with someone like Simmons.

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Simmons’ lack of scoring and somewhat passive approach to the game is going to make it very hard for him to play with other ball handlers, and that could limit his role. As good as Joel Embiid is as a spacer, his primary production is going to come in the post — and Simmons won’t be successful as a spot-up shooter or off-ball scorer to the extent that his draft spot would presume.

There are also the potential for Joel Embiid’s excellence in the post to hinder how much freedom Simmons has to evolve in his own game, both as a scorer and a playmaker. Embiid’s proverbial bread and butter will come on the low block and in face-up situations, and therefore Simmons — albeit a skill entry passer — might not be able to find his own groove in the process.

Ben Simmons is a work in progress — so let’s not view him as more.

Simmons is an excellent basketball player, but clearly boasts some substantial shortcomings. He must iron out his game’s most pressing voids in order to excel as an NBA player, and the Sixers, with the excellence of Embiid and the looming brilliance of the 2017 draft, are in a tough spot to allow room to do so.

He’ll get plenty of freedom from Brett Brown and company as somebody who could be a real building block for this franchise, but the road blocks, per se, are clear. His development as a scorer is an absolute must, and that invovles an entire shift in mentality for him on the court.

The same prospect who faded in and out of games for LSU at times and saw heavy questioning about his leadership on the court can’t show up in the Philadelphia 76ers uniform upon his return. It just won’t work.

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While I see almost no chance that he flops out of the league, there is a lot of room for error in terms of him giving what Sixer fans seem so heavily intent on receiving. He might not be the best fit for this team in the long run, and an outright belief of a seamless transition is flawed.