2. Ben Simmons
When I was first making this list, I was tempted to have Ben Simmons number one in these rankings. I was partially leaning that way because I had him as the top player on my Player Rankings ballot, I explained why in The Sixer Sense Podcast if you want to hear more on that.
“Simmons is a top-20 player in the NBA and a top-10 point guard in the NBA.”
Simmons is second because he’s currently not better than Joel Embiid yet. Yes, his unwillingness to take jump shots is part of the reason. The other being is that in terms of stats, Simmons hasn’t been able to see any sort of growth. His stat lines from the past seasons don’t lie.
| Season | Age | Tm | Lg | Pos | G | GS | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | 2P | 2PA | 2P% | eFG% | FT | FTA | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-17 | 20 | Did Not Play (injury—foot) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017-18 | 21 | PHI | NBA | PG | 81 | 81 | 33.7 | 6.7 | 12.3 | .545 | 0.0 | 0.1 | .000 | 6.7 | 12.2 | .551 | .545 | 2.4 | 4.2 | .560 | 1.8 | 6.3 | 8.1 | 8.2 | 1.7 | 0.9 | 3.4 | 2.6 | 15.8 |
| 2018-19 | 22 | PHI | NBA | PG | 79 | 79 | 34.2 | 6.8 | 12.2 | .563 | 0.0 | 0.1 | .000 | 6.8 | 12.1 | .566 | .563 | 3.3 | 5.4 | .600 | 2.2 | 6.6 | 8.8 | 7.7 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 3.5 | 2.6 | 16.9 |
| 2019-20 | 23 | PHI | NBA | PG | 54 | 54 | 35.7 | 6.7 | 11.4 | .585 | 0.0 | 0.1 | .333 | 6.6 | 11.3 | .588 | .587 | 3.3 | 5.3 | .627 | 2.0 | 5.8 | 7.8 | 8.2 | 2.1 | 0.6 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 16.7 |
| Career | NBA | 214 | 214 | 34.4 | 6.8 | 12.0 | .561 | 0.0 | 0.1 | .087 | 6.7 | 11.9 | .565 | .562 | 2.9 | 4.9 | .594 | 2.0 | 6.3 | 8.3 | 8.0 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 3.5 | 2.8 | 16.4 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 5/9/2020.
Despite those two factors, the first overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, he’s still a two-time All-Star and has become an elite defender in the NBA. He’s nearly averaged a triple-double for his career and leads the NBA in steals this season. The 6-foot-10 point guard is one of the best playmakers in the league as he has the fifth-highest assists average this season.
Simmons is a top-20 player in the NBA and a top-10 point guard in the NBA. He’s a franchise player so having him second on this list is a no brainer. In the future, Simmons has a chance to become the top player in these rankings, especially if he ever starts taking jump shots.