Philadelphia 76ers: Top 5 most impactful players from 2019-20 season

1. BEN SIMMONS

If you asked who’d be the most impactful Sixer this season back in September, Joel Embiid would have been a safe prediction. Unfortunately for Embiid, he missed multiple games due to suspension, injury, and load management. So, in his absence, Ben Simmons picked up the slack and gave the team a boost in almost every statistical category to help secure important victories. Let’s look at Ben’s defensive impact first.

His defensive stats cannot be overlooked. He leads the NBA in steals per game with 2.1, and he is second in deflections with 216 total. Speed and quickness have enabled Simmons to cause a torrent of turnovers, and tenacity has brought an element to the 76ers’ defense that very few of his teammates bring.

For example, in tight games, when the opposing team is trying to inbound the ball, the Sixers want and need Simmons to lock-in on defense. He’s proven on multiple occasions that his aggressive denial of the inbounds pass leads to timely turnovers (just ask the Pacers and Knicks). And if it doesn’t, at the very least, he can force the inbounder to hesitate and pass to a second or third option.

Offensively, Simmons has not scored as much in recent seasons, but his vision and passing complement the scoring talent of his teammates. He currently averages 8.2 dimes per game, good for fifth highest in the league. In transition, he is a demon, looking to hit an open man or finish at the rim with authority.

His half-court game needs work as most will admit, but his other skill sets truly serve as an asset for the team. Should he begin shooting jump shots and three pointers with more frequency, Ben Simmons will not only go from the most impactful player on the team, but the most impactful player in the league.