The Sixer Sense
Fansided

Who really is Ben Simmons’ closest comparison?

By Luke Swiatek

PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 20: Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on against the Boston Celtics at the Wells Fargo Center on October 20, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 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. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 20: Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on against the Boston Celtics at the Wells Fargo Center on October 20, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 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. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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BOSTON, MA –  MAY 15: Markieff Morris #5 of the Washington Wizards handles the ball against Al Horford #42 of the Boston Celtics during Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Semifinals of the 2017 NBA Playoffs on May 15, 2017 at TD Garden in BOSTON, MA. 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)
BOSTON, MA –  MAY 15: Markieff Morris #5 of the Washington Wizards handles the ball against Al Horford #42 of the Boston Celtics during Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Semifinals of the 2017 NBA Playoffs on May 15, 2017 at TD Garden in BOSTON, MA. 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) /

The skilled bigs

None of the Big Three were a perfect match, so maybe someone in this group will be more similar. These guys are also big men, and they also have some semblance of the same ball-handling as Simmons.

However, right off the bat we can see there’ll be some problems. Green is a lockdown defender, one of the best in the league, and Simmons isn’t known for his defense.

Additionally, most of Green’s playmaking comes when Steph gets double-teamed, allowing Green to roll to the basket and play four-on-three. He hasn’t proven himself as a primary ball-handler, certainly. Additionally, his shot chart from last year is all shots in the paint and threes – perfect Moreyball.

Millsap and Horford are similar players (and used to play together on the Atlanta Hawks) so I decided to group them together. They are very mobile for big men, though not incredibly strong or good at rebounding (you can’t have it all).

Both bigs are capable of bringing the ball up the floor like Simmons, but neither really does often. Horford defers to Irving when it comes to ball-handling, while Millsap usually lets the ball rest in Jokic’s hands (I’ll also discuss him in a moment).

My point is that maybe they could be the same type of players as Ben Simmons, but they’re currently not. They also shoot a lot more threes than Simmons (in case you can’t tell, this will become a theme).

Morris and Gordon were, in my mind, possibly some of the closest fits. Both also do quite a bit of handling from the forward spot, and Morris even plays a little bit of center when the Washington Wizards swap out Marcin Gortat for Kelly Oubre Jr. (Sidenote, I’d love to see Simmons run point center for the Philadelphia 76ers in games where Embiid is out).

I thought that Morris took a lot of threes, but apparently he takes fewer than I imagined. Gordon was the one who’s been chucking them up a lot (and as of last year, he was not very good). Simmons still needs to expand to the mid-range before he starts chucking from deep like Gordon.

Gordon has started to look pretty good so far this season, especially with shooting, so I don’t mean to rag on him. Based on his dunk contest performances, I’d say he’s probably more explosive and athletic than Simmons. Yet Simmons is still a significantly better passer than either. He runs the offense, while these two just finish the plays of others.

Diaw might seem like an odd inclusion on this list, especially since last year was his last in the league, but hear me out. He was one of the pioneers of the whole “point forward” idea, and his play against the Heatles in the 2014 Finals may very well have caused a revolution at the power forward position away from just “stretch fours” to “playmaking fours.”

He and Jokic are both skilled passers. The argument could be made that Current Jokic and Prime Diaw are as good or better at it than Simmons. The difference is how they pass.

Diaw and Jokic set up in the high post, and pass from a standstill. Simmons is more of a drive-and-dish style player, and his athleticism far surpasses theirs; they play as true big men. Not really who Simmons is.