Ben Simmons is a point guard, and then some
Philadelphia 76ers rookie Ben Simmons recently stated that he views himself as a starting point guard. That label doesn’t wholly encompass the magnitude of his impact.
This is a discussion that has been going on for quite some time now. Ever since he was drafted, Ben Simmons has been lauded as the Philadelphia 76ers‘ saving grace at point guard. At 6-foot-10, his combination of elite court vision and inordinate physical tools make him one of the best playmakers to enter the league in recent years. He carried the bulk of the distribution load while at LSU, and figures to see a similar ball handling share with Philadelphia.
Philadelphia 76ers
But the argument for Simmons being a point guard outright — or any position, for that matter — lacks context. Given the malleability of today’s league, defined positions are virtually irrelevant. Players carry multiple different roles on the court, many of which can overlap with whatever archetypes were previously thought of as concrete.
We’ve seen players who would traditionally spend time on the wing operating as the de facto power forward, while a player like LeBron James — or Ben Simmons — can be the primary ball handler without being the shortest man on the floor.
Simmons will, in many ways, be playing point guard. Markelle Fultz spent much of his Summer League time adjusting to an off-ball role, while Brett Brown has stressed the fact that Simmons will be the one bring the ball up the court on multiple occasions. With Fultz boasting clean mechanics and a reliable off-ball game, he’s better suited for working off of Simmons, rather than vice versa.
Simmons himself seems committed to that idea as well.
"“I think you can move me anywhere. But I’m a starting point guard.” (via Bleacher Report)"
But the 20-year-old does a make sure to qualify his statement there. He went to to mention that both he and Fultz have no problems sharing the ball, and working in that sentiment about being able to move anywhere on the court is important when trying to understand his role on this Sixers team.
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While he’ll be handling the ball and likely be initiating the majority of Philadelphia’s plays, his impact still ranges well beyond that of your prototypical NBA point guard. That all starts on the defensive end.
Simmons won’t be defending point guards. At 6-foot-10, he’ll likely be asked to defend fours, where he can protect the weakside defensively while switching off of rotations and using his length to bother shots across the spectrum. Simmons has the lateral quickness needed to stay with guards off the bounce, but sticking him on the perimeter devalues his presence on that end.
Simmons needs to be able to get rebounds as well. Much akin to Russell Westbrook in Oklahoma City or LeBron James in Cleveland, he’ll be asked to defend more off the ball so that he’s able to float towards the paint and grab boards, which in turn allows him to push the ball ahead and create more opportunities in transition.
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The Sixers’ current starting group doesn’t necessarily fit the predetermined mold of an NBA starting five either. If Simmons is playing point guard, that would qualify Fultz as a shooting guard. That leaves J.J. Redick in an odd state of positional ambiguity.
Rather that trying to shove that square peg into a circular hole, we can simply acknowledge the fact that Simmons’ position is fluid. He’s playing point guard, yet also shouldering responsibilities that typically go to power forwards. Fultz will also play some point guard, and has the distribution skills needed to back up that very same label.
We could then boil this debate down to Philadelphia having two point guards, rather than one definitive bell cow at that position.
Next: Stop debating Ben Simmons' position
Trying to quantify what Simmons does simply isn’t worth the time. Not with the dynamics of today’s NBA. Let’s just appreciate the expansiveness of his skill set.