Philadelphia 76ers: 5 goals for Ben Simmons in 2017-18

4. Establish himself as a point guard

Philadelphia is hoping to create mismatches with the opposition every night by placing the ball into the hands of Ben Simmons for extended periods of time.

Other teams have employed similar tactics, as Milwaukee has made Giannis Antetokounmpo its point guard. He had the ball in his hands for an average of 5.0 minutes per game. LeBron James was the primary ball-handler for the Cavaliers last season, maintaining possession for 6.1 minutes per game — just 0.3 fewer than Kyrie Irving.

Even after trading up in the draft to select point guard Markelle Fultz, the 76ers plan on Simmons facilitating the offense. Throughout his high school and college careers, Simmons has excelled with the ball in his hands and as a passer.

If Simmons is able to excel as a passer at the NBA level, he could become just the 15th player in league history to average 5.0 assists per game while standing 6’10” or taller.

Philadelphia ranked eighth in assists last season, averaging 23.8 per game, with three players dishing out over 4.0 assists a night. Even so, Simmons represents a major upgrade at the point guard position for the 76ers.