The Sixer Sense
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Ben Simmons doesn’t need a jumper to be successful

By Christopher Kline

PHILADELPHIA, PA - NOVEMBER 18: Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on in the first quarter against the Golden State Warriors at the Wells Fargo Center on November 18, 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 - NOVEMBER 18: Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on in the first quarter against the Golden State Warriors at the Wells Fargo Center on November 18, 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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Philadelphia 76ers rookie Ben Simmons is an absolute stud, and he doesn’t need a jumper to prove it.

Even in a gut-wrenching loss to the defending champions, the Philadelphia 76ers showed plenty of positives Saturday night. Perhaps the most obvious positive was Ben Simmons, who shredded the league’s most diverse defensive team for 23 points and 12 assists on 11-15 shooting.

Simmons is just 15 games into his career, yet has virtually ensured his spot in the All-Star game at his current pace. He’s outperforming arguably any rookie we’ve ever seen, and has played well enough to draw comparisons to Magic Johnson — and they aren’t all that absured.

Those are high standards to set, but Simmons has shown he can handle them.

In general, this has been a season of mass improvements for Simmons. After spending last year in rehab, he has shown growth defensively over what we saw in his brief tenure at LSU. He’s checking point guards, switching onto the block and making plays in the passing lanes, all while rebounding at a near-double digit clip. He’s a borderline elite defensive prospect, and that adds to the versatility that Embiid and Robert Covington already provide.

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For somebody who has surprised so many people, the fact that Simmons hasn’t attempted a single 3-point shot still catches me off guard. He’s emerging as a future MVP candidate in some eyes, yet hasn’t shown the ability to knock down a mid-range jumper with any semblance of consistency — and it hasn’t mattered.

Simmons is an athletic freak, and he combines that with a feel for the game that only a handful of veterans can match. He’s able to overpower and outmanuever almost anybody tasked with defending him, and that has allowed him to get into the teeth of defenses almost without issue.

Their second game against Golden State was a prime example of that athletic superiority. The Warriors cycled through a myriad of different defenders, throwing different body types and athletic profiles at Simmons in hopes of slowing down his penetration.

He then proceded to put Andre Iguodala on his back shoulder, spin Omri Casspi out of his shoes and get by Draymond Green en route to the basket. Again, none of it mattered.

Teams are playing Simmons with the expectation that he’s going to drive, yet his size and strength at 6-foot-10 — when blended with his explosiveness off the bounce — leaves very few athletes who are capable of hanging with him.

He’s also making the game easier for those around him in the process. He’s highly adept at finding passing angles from any spot on the floor, whether it’s threading the proverbial needle to the roll man or finding an open shooter on the perimeter. He gets into the teeth of the defense at will, and then procedes to bend them to their breaking point with his creativty.

We’re seeing someone who avoids the perimeter entirely blossomg into a star in a perimeter-oriented league. He’s an anomaly in the best of ways.

Next: Where will Joel Embiid plateau?

Pundits will point to Simmons’ lack of shooting until the earth stops spinning, but they’re missing the point. Yes a jumper would help, but it’s not the end-game with Simmons’ development. He’s a special talent because he doesn’t need a jumper, and he’ll be special regardless of whether or not he’s drilling pull-up jumpers in five years.