Philadelphia 76ers: What's Ben Simmons' Ceiling?

As we reflect on our first look at Ben Simmons in NBA Summer League action, just what exactly is his professional ceiling with the Philadelphia 76ers?

Ben Simmons flashed greatness as a playmaker in Las Vegas during NBA Summer League, which has led enough people to believe he has the chance to play point guard full-time at the next level.

If he really is a lead guard in a power forward’s body, then it’s hard for anyone not to bring up names such as Magic Johnson and LeBron James because that’s how rare someone with his unique blend of talents is.

Few players standing at 6’10” are gifted with his court vision and basketball IQ as a distributor. All-Stars such as James and Blake Griffin stand apart from others because of it, but Simmons has greater upside than both of them in the category of passing. Neither of them were racking up as many highlight-level assists as Simmons is at the same age, and at 19 he’s only going to get better.

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But the reason why James isn’t a fair comparison for Simmons is because of the athletic and scoring differences between the two. James never had a problem putting points on the board and finishing at the rim from day one of his professional career. Simmons, on the other hand, struggled converting on his shot attempts at an efficient rate, shooting 18-of-44 in four games in Las Vegas.

While he showed off better form on his jump shot and more of a willingness to take it than in college (even though his attempts were nowhere near what some wanted to see from him), his aggressiveness generally paid off in the drive-and-kick game, not in his individual point totals.

His 12.3 points per game against weaker competition than he’ll face during the NBA regular season didn’t jump out in particular, but as said previously that’s not the best facet of his game at this stage of his development.

How many rookies are able to make passes like this no matter what size or position they’re playing? Hell, I don’t know of many veterans who can make no-look passes in their sleep.

Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown has already noticed his ability to run an offense and doesn’t see him as simply a point forward in the mold of James or Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green.

"“Everyone gets all twisted on what their version of a point guard is,” Brown said to NBA.com. “When I say ‘point guard’ I mean point guard. You’ve got the ball. You could call him Isiah Thomas, the old Isiah Thomas of my generation. You could call him Chris Paul. I mean point guard point guard.“There are times I think that he can be a point guard. Not Draymond Green. Not LeBron [James]. Not Lamar Odom. That’s a point forward. I walk both lines at different moments. To start him off, we’ll play him as a point forward.”"

Mentioning him in the same breath as guys like Paul and Thomas is a lot to put on someone as young as Simmons, but that’s the kind of praise he’s received since high school and even before that.

Basketball phenoms make themselves known early on, and Simmons was no exception. But now that he’s ready to play in the NBA, it’s time to evaluate him in a more complex way than whether he can survive in the league or not.

It’s time to ask, “Can Simmons develop into a superstar?”

While the jump shot will serve as an important indicator of how great a scorer he becomes, it’s easy to notice why he doesn’t rely on an outside shot to carry his point totals. Simmons has as good of a handle as anyone else his size, and he knows how to get into the lane anytime he wants.

During Summer League Simmons got into the paint with ease, finding ways to utilize his quickness and size to squeeze into the lane where he’s most effective. Spotting Simmons up outside the arc or having him call for the ball in the post possession after possession isn’t how to properly use him.

That’s a huge reason why he wasn’t consistent or nearly as engaged as he could’ve been in college, as LSU head coach Johnny Jones didn’t put the ball in Simmons’ hands for the majority of games, relying on ineffective guards Tim Quarterman and Keith Hornsby to handle and distribute in halfcourt sets.

Simmons is at his best when he’s in control of the offense, and hearing Brown echo that sentiment means great things for his development as an all-around talent. The more time he spends in the league the stronger and more consistent he’ll get. What Simmons has in terms of intangibles and court vision can’t be taught.

His upside is as high as anyone else’s in the NBA. Is he the next James or Magic? No, he’s his own man.

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But is he the next great basketball superstar? That’s a much more attainable goal for Simmons, who has all the talent of a transcendent prospect.

Philadelphia 76ers: What’s Ben Simmons’ Ceiling?

By Nathan Grubel | Jul 26, 2016

As we reflect on our first look at Ben Simmons in NBA Summer League action, just what exactly is his professional ceiling with the Philadelphia 76ers?