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| Ben Simmons (Photo: Trevor Andershock) |
Ben Simmons was the first pick of the 2016 NBA Draft after one year at LSU. What are the strengths, weaknesses and ceiling of Ben Simmons? Trevor Andershock answers those questions as Ben Simmons begins his NBA career with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Strengths
· Physical tools
o Size
o Speed
o First step
· Ball-Handling
o Changes direction well when attacking the basket in the half court
o Can rebound and lead the break without outletting the ball
· Finishes Well
o He has touch in the paint
o Simmons has no problem finishing over and through defenders
o Needs to use his left hand (actually his strong hand) more in the paint
· Gets to free throw line
o Shot 297 free throws in 33 games
o .769 free throw rate meaning he shot four FTs to every five field goal attempts
· Decent Rebounder
o Average offensive
o Good defensive
· Good Defensively
o Moves well laterally on the perimeter
o Strength and awareness to guard in the post
Weaknesses
· Shooting
o Doesn’t have any range
o Off balance frequently
o Mechanics don’t look bad
§ Release/follow through is good
§ Brings ball back to head which creates sling shot motion and ruins arc.
· Never uses left (strong) hand to finish in the paint
o For some reason, he only uses his right hand in the paint
o Many times it would be easier to use left hand
· Turnovers
o Charges frequently when driving
o Playmaking leads to errant passes
Physical
There are no weaknesses with regards to physical tools for Ben Simmons. He’s 6’9” without shoes along with a 7’ wingspan. Oh, and to go with his 7-foot wingspan, Simmons has a reported 41.5” vertical leap. That makes him an athletic freak. That is part of the reason why he will be so versatile in the NBA. Teams around the league are switching 1-5 to stop outside shooting. Simmons will have no problem switching and defending any position on the floor.
Offense
Simmons averaged 19 points on 11.7 shot attempts per game as a freshman at LSU. The knock on him in the media is that he wasn’t aggressive enough on the offensive end. He’s not a natural scorer. He averaged about five assists per game on a team that went 19-14. Simmons does a little bit of everything on the offensive end although he isn’t great at any one area.
He’s best as a slasher and playmaker. Simmons can get to the basket like a guard at 6-foot-9. His feel for the game is advanced. He will look better if he has finishers around him.
The biggest weakness to Simmons’s game is his shooting. Players at every position have to be able to shoot in today’s NBA. Simmons only took three three-pointers at LSU. He has no confidence in mid-range to outside shots. He needs to work on his mechanics and consistency in order to be a star in the NBA.
Defense
There is potential for Simmons as a defender. He’ll be able to guard multiple positions especially in ball-screen situations. As he adds muscle he’ll become a better defender in the NBA. That will be a problem for him early in his career as he doesn’t have the strength or bulk to defend NBA post players.
The defensive possession doesn’t end until the rebound is secured. Simmons did a good job on the defensive glass at LSU. His defensive rebounding rate was 26.8%. That is a strong number.
Summary
The potential of Ben Simmons is fantastic. That isn’t to say that he will be a Hall of Famer. He can be a tremendous player, though. The physical tools are there. The basketball awareness and knowledge is present.
Does Simmons have the burning desire to be great? Many critics have questioned his killer instinct. He will need that in order to develop his outside shot. If he becomes an adequate outside shooter, Simmons has a chance to be a perennial all-star.
It will be interesting to watch how Ben Simmons handles the pressure of being a number one pick. Every step of his development as an NBA player will be scrutinized. The weight of helping to rebuild the Philadelphia 76ers will be immense. He handled the pressure and criticism of his freshman year at LSU. He was interviewed seemingly every day by ESPN. He was blamed for LSU not making the NCAA Tournament.
My feeling is that Ben Simmons will be an all-star caliber NBA player. He is ready to handle the celebrity and the criticism. He just needs to develop his jump shot.
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