The Evolution of Ben Simmons: How Good Can He Be?
With the recent videos surfacing of Ben Simmons working on his jumper, there is a ton of reports, comments, and predictions regarding how good he actually is and if he is truly worth the max deal of 170M over 5 years.
The first question that needs to be asked when thinking if Ben is worth it is “Would you rather play against him?” With that being more often than not a clear “No!” then it is obvious that Ben is worth this money, and when breaking down his numbers, he is actually one of the rarest talents this generation has seen.
To start, there is a reason that Ben is called the “Fresh Prince” when talking about his skillset with LeBron who is known as “King James.” No, This is not going to go down a path to say Ben Simmons is going to be better or as good as LeBron, but with his speed, size, and athletic ability, he has the potential to able to be a floor general that could mimic LeBron’s leadership on the court. Ben is a 6’10 point forward that can guard all 5 positions on the court and creates a mismatch for defenses and creates problems. With just 2 years of playing against NBA players, Ben has already been named an all-star and ranked in the top 20 for best players in the NBA.
Over his career, Ben averages 16.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game. At 23 years old, Ben is averaging a near triple-double.
Now let’s look at where he ranks since he entered the league and played his first game. Ben ranks top 20 in most of the major categories since making his rookie debut. Some of the more important categories were 2pt attempts made and assists. Many do not believe that Ben is worth this kind of money because of his lack of a 3pt shot, but if he comes out this year and starts consistently hitting elbow jumpers and elbow fades, he should most certainly be looked at as the most dangerous player on the floor.
Simmons backed out of playing for Australia in the FIBA cup to focus on his shooting for the upcoming season. Photos and videos surfaced of Ben working out with his teammate who is one of the best 3pt shooters in the league, Tobias Harris, and is found hitting 3s. A few more videos surfaced of Ben playing in a gym with other NBA players and hitting 3s and dominating the games. For a player who is so valuable already at such a young age on the offensive end, people often forget that he is a borderline elite defender. The eye test and numbers prove it.
Giannis and Kawhi both struggled when covered by Ben Simmons. As much as he creates a mismatch on the offensive end, he does the same on the defensive end. His size and speed provide him a major advantage. He ranked 18 in defensive win shares last season which shows how valuable he is on both sides of the court.
His court vision on fast breaks is undeniably one of the best in the league, and his ability to shred defenses and finish at the rim is extremely impressive. Now with his new running mate Josh Richardson, who is one of the more explosive finishers around the rim, and Tobias who can get a shot off instantly, Ben should be more dominant in transition, and his assists per game should rise, as well as the team’s fastbreak points.
Many people dislike Ben and claim he is a liability on the offensive end of the court because he does not shoot 3s and that allows defenses to draw up a game plan which leaves him open on the majority of the court, but he still finds a way to score. When compared to division rival Jayson Tatum, who put his offensive talents on display early on in his rookie year, Ben was often looked at as the inferior offensive player. Simmons has more 30 point games than Tatum and is tied with Nikola Jokic with 22 triple-doubles since he entered the league. Jared Dudley of the Nets called Ben “average in the half court” during the playoff series against the Brooklyn Nets this year. Ben proceeded to have a playoff career-high in points and carry the Sixers to a 4-1 series victory.
For those who dislike Simmons or claim he is overrated because he refuses to shoot, do not realize how versatile he is and how he doesn’t need to shoot to be effective. If he develops a 3pt shot sooner than later, every team in the league will need a new gameplan and he instantly becomes of the best offensive players in basketball. Teams will not be able to double Embiid or attempt to trap Tobias, they will have to focus on Simmons and his playmaking ability.
So when truly breaking down Ben’s game and asking if he is worth that money, at 23 years old and already making an all-star team, the consensus answer is yes. Ben Simmons is worth every penny.
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