Small Forwards
Ben Simmons has a lot of potential and it will be great when everyone can see what he can do when he is finally cleared to play. With Simmons most of skills are based on the physical gifts that he was born with. However, if one review his college and summer league games closely there are some aspects of his game that are not based in his athleticism.
Like McConnell and Rodriguez, Simmons’ most valuable skill is passing. This skill is even more emphasized basket of Simmons’ 6′ 10″ frame. Fellow The Sixer Sense writer Owen Nelson wrote a comparison of Simmons to other great passer of bigger frames. One other player that Simmons could be compared to the Nelson didn’t mention was Hedo Turkoglu.
Turkoglu to Simmons is not completely fair, but when Simmons gets older and loses most of his athleticism it is not as hard to see the comparison then.
Robert Covington is a great shooter, albeit not as much this season, that is not the skill that is his most valuable at this point of his career. His defense in particular his ability to steal the ball. According to ESPN NBA stats, he ranks thirteenth in the league averaging 1.71 steals per game. He also is tied at sixteenth in the league in total of 60 steals. Coach Brown has helped Covington turn the learned skill he has and made him into one of the steal masters in the NBA.