Piece by: Nick Lombardi
I will die on my Ben Simmons hill as I find myself going to bat for him time and time again amongst the swarms of NBA fans and talking heads that criticize him. There was a great Ben Simmons schism at some point which has continued to widen with both his haters and stans digging in deeper and becoming even louder. So what is it about this guy that causes so much argument?
Well he's widely considered to be a star in the NBA, yet he doesn't score like one. This season has been his lowest PPG average with just 14.3. He rarely takes a three, and when he does, it goes in only 30% of the time (which is a stat I'm not comfortable using because there's not much sample size). He shoots just over 60% from the line which is awful in today's NBA, especially for a guard. How on earth could a guy this bad be a star?
The answer is defense and playmaking. Simmons can read a court like no other. He's an artist with the ball in his hands and if it weren't for so many Embiid post ups and the existence of George Hill and Shake Milton, this guy could lead the league in assists. Defensively, he's just so much bigger than his typical opponent. Because of his athleticism and IQ, he's able to stay in front of smaller guards and switch onto bigger guys. In 2019-2020, Simmons led the NBA in steals at 2.1 per game. The best way to describe Ben Simmons is a guy who does everything in basketball at a high level, except the fundamental goal of basketball, which is to score more than your opponent.
Those who are critical Simmons view his lack of offense as completely undermining to the rest of his game and his massive contract. Those who praise him view his defense and playmaking as his value and because he can do both at an elite level, he is still an incredibly valuable player. With Philadelphia down 0-1 to. Atlanta in a series they should win, my stance on Simmons and his typical "Ben Simmons box score" hasn't changed. However, I believe that Philadelphia is the wrong place for him to continue his growth. He is the kind of guy who would thrive on a roster full of off-ball scorers who could feast on his playmaking abilities.
I believe a D'Angelo Russell and Ben Simmons swap could improve both Philadelphia and Minnesota. Minnesota can get the defender and floor general they desperately need and Philly can get a scorer who can run the pick and roll with Embiid. Unless the 76ers beat the odds and win an NBA title, Ben Simmons trade rumors will dominate the summer for Daryl Morey and the 76ers.