There were questions about whether or not Ben Simmons would actually be the Philadelphia 76ers‘ point guard entering the season. Those questions didn’t last long.
The Philadelphia 76ers entered this season with a few major question marks, and Ben Simmons was at the forefront. The 6-foot-10 stud was finally making his NBA debut, and debates regarding his position were too common — no matter how many times Brett Brown called him the point guard.
It’s difficult to envision somebody with his size being labeled a full-blown point guard, even in today’s league. There’s a difference between versatility and a physical anomaly, and many thought projecting Simmons as a true point guard ventured too far towards the latter.
At this point in the season, it seems as if those concerns were off base.
Simmons is exactly that, though: an anomaly. He has the size needed to defend all five positions, yet spends the majority of his possessions setting up the offense with the ball in his hands. Whether it’s a halfcourt set or in transition, Simmons is the primary offensive catalyst regardless.
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That’s the textbook definition of point guard.
I’ve always been of the opinion that trying to pin Simmons into a single positional label is pointless. Positions are becoming obsolete as it is, and somebody with his innate physical and mental gifts only blurs those lines further.
But when you look at how Simmons is featured in Brett Brown’s offense, it’s tough to describe him as anything other than a point guard. He’s second to only Dennis Schroder in drives per game, and finds himself No. 5 in assists per game league-wide.
That means two things: He’s getting dribble penetration consistently and is creating for others at a high clip while he’s at it. We’ve seen Simmons switch to the de facto four spot for spurts when T.J. McConnell enters the game, but even then a good chunk of the offense ends up running through him.
Simmons’ size advantage makes it tough for some to call Simmons a point guard outright, but the way he uses that size is largely for the betterment of his playmaking. He takes smaller players into the post to gain position, but often uses that to nail cutters or kick it out to an open shooter.
He also sees over defenders in a way smaller guards can’t, which he can use to his benefit on those aforementioned drives. His ability to exploit angles you hardly ever see exploited is largely due to the vantage points that he — and only he — has as a passer.
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Quickness is another tool Simmons has in droves, and that’s been an almost universal weapon of his. Whether it’s Andre Iguodala or Noah Vonleh, Simmons’ strong first step is enough to blow by the vast majority of those tasked with guarding him.
You can use the defense argument as well: If Simmons isn’t defending point guards, he can’t be playing point guard. That’s largely true and a wholly valid point, but it’s also worth noting that Simmons has been defending point guards quite a bit. It’s not often you see a 6-foot-10 dude chasing around Stephen Curry.
Even without a jumper, Simmons has managed to put himself on the map as an All-Star cadidate under two months into his NBA career. He has the athleticism to get wherever he wants on the court, and the skills needed to capitalize.
He’s not your typical lead guard in build, but his game is constructed like that of an elite point guard. From assists to his advanced handles, Brett Brown is able to rely on Simmons as the teams go-to faciliator night-in and night-out.
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They said he would be the point guard, and so far that’s been the case.