Ben Simmons carried the Philadelphia 76ers to new heights last season, and his latest SI.com ranking reflects that.
The Philadelphia 76ers announced their arrival to competitive status last season, winning 52 games and securing the third seed in the Eastern Conference. Ben Simmons was a big reason why, co-piloting the Sixers to new heights alongside Joel Embiid.
At 6-foot-10, Simmons is one of the most unique players in recent memory. He was a full-fledged point guard last season, controlling the ball and orchestrating the offense for a Sixers team that torched opponents with regularity after the All-Star break.
He’s among the league’s elite playmakers, rivaling LeBron James‘ flash, accuracy and timing as a passer. He also avoids the three-point line, attempting almost every shot within 15 feet of the rim. His 11 three-point attempts were all end-of-clock heaves, none of which hit.
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There is no other NBA player with Simmons’ set of gifts and flaws — gifts that made him the clear-cut Rookie of the Year, and flaws that made him ineffective against Boston in the playoffs. Simmons’ outlook now hinges on the development of a few key skills.
With that said, Simmons is an elite talent in his current state. Even if his growth is marginal moving forward — which, ideally, it won’t be — he’s a perennial All-Star and valuable contributor to winning basketball.
That’s reflected in SI.com’s Top 100, in which Simmons is slotted at 26. That puts him ahead of several regular All-Stars, including Kevin Love, Bradley Beal and DeMar DeRozan. He now joins J.J. Redick (62), Dario Saric (54) and Robert Covington (48) among the Sixers players released in the 11-100 range.
Looks like Joel Embiid will grace the top 10.
Simmons was the driving force behind an elite Sixers offense last season, putting up historic numbers and amassing 11 triple-doubles, good for third most in the NBA. He joined Oscar Robertson as the only rookies to record 1,200 points, 600 rebounds and 600 assists in their debut seasons.
Here is what SI’s Ben Golliver had to say on the 22-year-old’s early success:
"Although Simmons (15.8 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 8.2 APG) is only 22 years old, he has already provided convincing answers to most of the pre-draft questions that surfaced in 2016. He’s not a point guard? Simmons was the lead ball-handler for one of the league’s most devastating five-man lineups, claiming 2018 Rookie of the Year honors and joining John Wall as the only rookies to average 15+ PPG and 8+ APG during the last 20 years. He has a questionable motor? Simmons came out of the gate as a clear plus defender—ranking 35th league-wide in Real Plus-Minus—while also carrying Philadelphia to eight straight wins without Joel Embiid to close the season. He won’t be able to bully his way to the hoop against NBA-caliber defenders like he did in college and high school? Simmons’s shot distribution chart looks like it belongs to an elite center, as he hit 74.4% of his shots in the basket area and took nearly half of his attempts from within three feet."
Simmons has proved to be effective, if not elite on both sides of the ball. His ceiling is a top-five NBA player, something that’s wholly attainable if his jumper comes around. He has been blessed with the requisite physical tools and basketball I.Q., it just comes down to improving the few skill areas that are lagging behind.
Expect an ever bigger second season from the former LSU standout.