2. Ben Simmons
PRESEASON RANKING: 2
The second round of The Sixer Sense player rankings are in, and Ben Simmons — The Fresh Prince of Philadelphia — ranks second once again. Simmons and Joel Embiid are the two pillars of this franchise and the fruits of “The Process” labored by former general manager Sam Hinkie. However, when Embiid is healthy, he is clearly the best player on the team and undoubtedly a top ten player in the NBA.
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For Simmons to take over the top spot he obviously needs to improve his jump shot first. There has been a recent report by ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan that Simmons is continuing to work on his jump shot during this impromptu offseason. In the article, his trainer Chris Johnson said “when Ben’s ready to show the world how good a shooter he is, it won’t just be 3s.” We have heard optimistic rumors about Simmons’ shot in the past, so even though it sounds promising, until I witness it in gameplay, I find it hard to believe.
On a positive note, Simmons makes everyone he plays with better because of his basketball I.Q.; his impressive court vision is comparable to LeBron James. By making the right passes and collapsing defenses when he attacks the basket, Simmons frees his teammates up for open shots in a way that few players can. His full-steam-ahead fast break is the most unstoppable play in the NBA today.
Additionally, Simmons has been focusing more of his attention on the defensive side of the floor this year. He leads the NBA in steals this season, averaging over two per game, and he has taken the challenge of defending the opposing team’s best players. With his growth on defense and maturity as an NBA player, he has earned his back-to-back All-Star selections. And if Simmons’ shot is truly coming along this time, he is well on his way to competing for the top spot in our Sixers rankings and maybe one day the top player in the NBA.