Philadelphia 76ers Fans: Getting To Know LSU Forward Ben Simmons

Heading into the third year of Sam Hinkie’s elaborate rebuild of the Philadelphia 76ers, fans every season clamor and pray for a top pick or a superstar to build around through the draft. The Sixers might not have lucked out on selecting first in the draft the past two years.

While unable to land their desired player, they have two possible superstar talents, in all their vagueness, to grow under the tutelage of head coach Brett Brown. A rare entity looking to dominate the college level could add to the cache of riches for Philadelphia.

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Ben Simmons is another breed of one-and-done players coming over from across the Pacific in Melbourne, Australia. He’s already been heavily tested playing with NBA players D’Angelo Russell and Dakari Johnson at Montverde Academy in Florida and won the past two High School Basketball Invitational championships.

Against historic high school power Oak Hill Academy, Simmons flashed his college-ready game with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists, as the double-double fueled a second straight title for the Aussie and Montverde.

The versatility exuded is expected to continue in a seemingly one-and-done season at LSU. Having to replace two frontcourt NBA draft picks in Jarell Martin and Jordan Mickey, the dubious task of getting the Tigers dancing in March is on the long limbs of Simmons.

The 6-foot-10, 239-pound freshman is a candidate from day one for SEC Player of the Year. LSU prepped with exhibitions down under in August against the Australian national team. ESPN’s Andy Katz illustrates the importance Simmons has to the Tigers:

"“This is an LSU team that’s got plenty of players who are going to produce returning like Antonio Blakeney, Brandon Sampson, Tim Quarterman and Keith Hornsby, but Simmons is the one everyone is going to be talking about throughout the course of the season.”"

The talk of Simmons as the first pick in the 2016 NBA Draft is legitimate and warranted. He’s dominated for a high school powerhouse against high school competition. Doubting the rare skill set Simmons offers translating is parlaying false belief that will just fuel his motor.

Offensive Impact

It’s not just his motor that’s non-stop, it’s the elation watching Simmons scale the floor that’s addicting. There might not be another college commodity that can grab a board like Kenneth Faried then initiate a fast break like Kyrie Irving. Take a look at 1:39 in the video to get an example of Simmons’ scary ability to change roles.

A rare point-forward, Simmons is an elite facilitator at a position devoid of playmaking talent. In any designed set or on the break, he’s looking to feature his teammates along with himself. It’s the ability to be an integral part of any offense due to his ability to create for others that will heighten his playability in the NBA.

Simmons fits in any offense due the myriad of skills he possesses. Jay Bilas, among others in the offseason, raved about Simmons’ versatility and offensive repertoire:

Simmons isn’t a genetic freak like Andrew Wiggins was, but his salivating prospectus at playing point-forward has media labeling him a possible generational talent. ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla labeled him a “position-less star“. He’s athletic enough to convert through contact and throw down monster one-hand flushes in transition.

Some bulk would aid Simmons in the paint against more bullish interior presences, but taking away agility and speed might be a hinderance to Simmons’ positive qualities.

What could have Simmons locked into the No. 1 slot in the upcoming draft is his innate passing tools. He has vision no forward should possess, flashing traits of a playmaking point guard with the ball. No-looks and behind-the-back passes are just a few tricks Simmons utilizes as a nifty savant of a passer.

Tying vision with productivity to hit the open man in a prominent scoring situation, the Aussie has drawn comparisons to a taller Magic Johnson, per Adam Zagoria:

"“Simmons is clearly going to be the most talked about freshman coming into this college season,” one veteran NBA scout told SNY.tv. “LSU is really building him up. He has great all-around talent. He is the closest thing to demonstrating Magic Johnson-type passing skills along with having the size similar to Magic.”"

LSU, outside of Quarterman, doesn’t have a natural lead guard who can facilitate. Simmons can handle running the show while entering as the team’s go-to option in half-court sets.  Along with fellow freshman Antonio Blakeley, who joined LSU after Simmons’ commitment, Simmons gives LSU a crafty scorer in transition or in the post.

Aside from athletic plays and line drives to the basket, Simmons uses his lanky frame to foster mismatches in the post. With spins and a bevy of different hook shots, it’s difficult to handle Simmons who easily has the athletic advantage over his foes.

Where Simmons evidently has struggled in is shooting from the outside and polish in the respective category. DraftExpress’ Mike Schmitz explains, in detail, the less desirable trait Simmons’ possesses:

"“The main area where Simmons still has a quite a bit of roll for growth is as a shooter. Although he does get solid rotation on the ball and has some natural touch, Simmons’ shooting mechanics aren’t ideal, as he sports a fairly slow windup and involved his ring and pinky finger too much on his release. The Aussie did knock down a couple of mid-range jumpers and banked in a three, but his jumper still remains his biggest question mark moving forward.”"

Flashing an improved shooting stroke in college will immensely benefit Simmons as a two-way offensive superstar teams will drool over. He’s on a team at LSU filled with shooters and won’t be asked to operate in the same mentality, but getting more polish would be ideal for Simmons’ game.

Shooting a commendable 68 percent from the free-throw line, there’s room for improvement and repetition.

A triple-double candidate on any given night, Simmons will be must-see television playing for LSU.

Defensive Impact

Ben Simmons is the Pokemon Greninja. Introduced in 2013, Greninja’s ability, Protean, allows it to transform into the type of the attack it uses. Simmons has similar ability who can play almost any position on the court. The dexterity to shift roles is massive in any rotation.

With ridiculous offensive stats and versatility, Greninja is a force offensively. Its frailty on the defensive end is similar to Simmons’ weaknesses in the aforementioned area.

Simmons might not look like he possesses PF size on film, but he’ll be asked to handle opposing bigs in the post for LSU who loses two NBA players in the frontcourt.

Not a shot blocker or rim protector, Simmons will have to contain and limit who he’s guarding. With ample amounts of athleticism, he’s quicker to the ball then most bigs and has a penchant for thievery looking at Simmons’ senior year in high school.

Simmons’ versatility also translates over to the defensive side of the ball as DraftExpress’ Mike Schmitz analyzed his performance at the Nike Academy in July:

"“Defensively, Simmons showed outstanding versatility, staying in front of quicker perimeter players with relative ease. He’s very mobile for his size and has the strength to battle on the interior as well. It’s Simmons offensive talent that often has scouts and media members buzzing, but he really has a chance to be an excellent defender and two-way player. Simmons isn’t overly tough and doesn’t quite have elite length for a power forward, making him best defending the perimeter at this stage, but he certainly has the size and frame to develop into a better interior defender in time.”"

Defensive prowess separated Karl-Anthony Towns from Jahlil Okafor heading into the 2015 NBA Draft. If Simmons is going to make noise leading up to the draft and lock into the top-overall player nod over guys like Skal Labissiere or Jaylen Brown, defense has to be a priority for him this season.

With coaching from Johnny Jones and learning fundamentals, Simmons could eventually be a plus defender at maturity and shed the “raw” label.

Freshman Year Outlook

Simmons is the prototypical player you run your offense through. At 19-years-old, he’s mature for his class and will have immense pressure playing in the tough SEC.

Signing on with Kentucky, he would have cruised through his freshman season with Skal Labissiere and the multiple young but talented point guards John Calipari will feature. He’ll get the Wildcats Jan. 5 at home with major SEC title implications on the line.

With Quarterman and Blakeney, Simmons has two scorers who will assist him in carrying an offense who averaged 73 points per game last season. Don’t be surprised if Simmons is among the team’s leaders in both assists, rebounds and steals as his immense versatility will be on display

Any team would be clamoring for the rare skill set Simmons has at his disposal. If he can be the next two-way generational talent, one team will be extremely lucky to land him. For Sixers fans, the hope is he’s wearing the team’s hat on draft night.

Next: 25 Best Players to Play for the Philadelphia 76ers

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