Ben belongs in discussion
Ben Simmons is certainly one. He is the number one pick from the 2016 NBA Draft and his versatility and proficiency has set the table for plenty of heated dialogue. What is he? Point guard? Power forward? Small forward? Point forward? What does it matter, as he will play his role offensively, and will defend whomever matches up to guard him.
Air Alamo
That will likely be a small forward, and that mean little to the offense of Simmons. You see, Ben Simmons is like a 500 year flood. He is so rare, that it makes little sense to try and corral him. And that is what many NBA teams face trying to defend him. How do they? Too small of a defender and he plays over them. Too big, and he races and passes around them.
Upside is higher all the time
How good will Simmons offense be? He’s had a year to perfect his shooting. First and foremost, the NBA will test him on his jumper. A good number before his season off felt like 12-14 points per game. But with that year to improve, watch, mature, and train? I feel like he is a 20 points per game candidate now.
Simmons has the beauty of surprising the NBA via his rookie season, but the sage wisdom of having the vantage point to watch, observe, and learn from a season off the court. That combines into some tremendous upside for the young star. How far will it propel him his a matter of discussion.