The Sixer Sense
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Why Ben Simmons should play power forward

By Michael Bronson

BROOKLYN, NY - MARCH 28: Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers warms up before the game against the Brooklyn Nets on March 28, 2017 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
BROOKLYN, NY - MARCH 28: Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers warms up before the game against the Brooklyn Nets on March 28, 2017 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Despite Ben Simmons‘ ability and willingness to be the Philadelphia 76ers‘ starting point guard, it would be best for him and the Sixers if he started at power forward.

“I think you can move me anywhere. But I’m a starting point guard,”

The above quote is from Philadelphia 76ers rookie Ben Simmons — and you can read more of what Simmons had to say in this ESPN article — letting the entire world know he sees himself as a point guard despite being 6-foot-10. As someone that doesn’t view Simmons as a point guard and believes that there has been way too much conversation about how he could be used in the NBA, I was disappointed when Simmons said this.

Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers /

Philadelphia 76ers

From Simmons’ perspective being seen as a point guard might make him seem more special or this is easier for people to understand his potential as a player. Magic Johnson is the first player that comes to most people’s mind when you ask them to name a great really tall NBA point guard. If people don’t view Simmons as a point guard, many of them question how good of a player he really is. Small and power forwards are expected to be great scorers not great passers, and despite averaging 19.2 points per game during his only season at LSU, people will spend more time questioning Simmons’ lack of shooting ability instead of evaluating how his passing, rebounding, and ability to get to the basket helps the team.

Hassan Whiteside was the top rebounder in the NBA during the 2016-17 season averaging 14.1 rebounds per game. Among the top ten rebounders only Anthony Davis (11.8 rebounds per game), Kevin Love (11.1 rebounds per game), and Russell Westbrook (10.7 rebounds per game) made the list playing a position other than center. Westbrook is the only point guard to show up in the NBA’s top 50 rebounders for the 2016-17 season, and with Simmons averaging 11.8 rebounds per game in college, forcing Simmons further away from the basket to defend point guards seems like a bad decision for him and the team.

The Sixers and Simmons can say he is a point guard, but Simmons is a player that didn’t put full effort on the defensive end of the court in college, and despite having the lateral quickness to in theory defend point guards, it will only slow Simmons’ development to force him to consistently defend smaller and quicker players that he has little experience covering. And if the Sixers are serious about making the playoffs this season, allowing Simmons to work on his defense by defending positions he is use to playing against and using his elite ability to grab defensive rebounds to start and control fast breaks would be their best option.

Must Read: 5 reasons Ben Simmons has star potential

“It was May of 1984, and Johnson’s Bucks were struggling in their first round playoff bout with the New Jersey Nets. Milwaukee was thin at point guard and getting killed by Nets All-Star guard Micheal Ray Richardson. So Don Nelson, then the Bucks head coach, came up with a crazy idea: have Johnson, a 6-foot-7 forward with a better handle than most of his peers, initiate the offense by bringing the ball up the court.”

The above quote is from Yaros Weitzman’s article showing the history of point forwards and gives a clear example of how Simmons will be used and why having him play power forward to increase the chances he grabs the defensive rebound and runs the fast break is important. The Golden State Warriors had the top offense in the league scoring last season averaging 115.9 points per game. 22.6 of the Warriors’ points per game were from fast breaks. Despite being the top team in the league in passes per game last season, only 12.9 of Sixers’ 102.4 points per game from fast breaks making them the 14th best team in this category. Unless a team is able to recover a block or grab a steal, most fast breaks are started by grabbing rebounds and the Sixers were 23rd in rebounds per game last season averaging 42.8 rebounds per game.

Next: Ben Simmons and the small ball center dream

Simmons will likely handle the ball and focus on getting his teammates easy points about a third of the time he and the Sixers’ real starting point guard Markelle Fultz are on the court together, so it wouldn’t be wrong to view both players as sharing the starting point guard spot from a purely offensive perspective. But as long as Simmons is put in position to succeed, the actual position he is playing and how he is playing it will never matter.