Hoops Habit
Fansided

Philadelphia 76ers: 2017-18 player grades for Ben Simmons

By Simon Smith

BOSTON, MA - APRIL 30: Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers dribbles against the Boston Celtics during the first quarter of Game One of Round Two of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden on April 30, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - APRIL 30: Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers dribbles against the Boston Celtics during the first quarter of Game One of Round Two of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden on April 30, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 5
Next
(Photo by Matteo Marchi/Getty Images)
(Photo by Matteo Marchi/Getty Images) /

Strengths

Simmons’ combination of size and vision for a point guard is almost unmatched.

Having drawn valid comparisons to Hall of Fame point guard Magic Johnson, Simmons’ ability to see the floor with an incredible package of height and basketball nous is almost unparalleled for a 21-year-old rookie.

For the season, Simmons compiled 13 triple-doubles, ranking third in the league behind only Russell Westbrook and LeBron James. In the process, Simmons now ranks second all-time among rookies for triple-doubles, trailing only Oscar Robertson with 26.

However it wasn’t just on the offensive end where Simmons stood out and put his stamp on the game. Overall, Simmons ranked 10th in the league for steals at 1.7 per game, and was also the only player in the league this season to compile at least 140 steals and 70 blocks.

One area in particular that Simmons excelled was getting close to the rim and finishing. Overall, Simmons ranked 12th in the league with 7.2 attempts per game within five feet of the rim, with his 69.3 percent conversion rate comfortably the highest rate among all guards who averaged at least 5.0 attempts per game from this range.

When you add in the fact that Simmons led the league with 74.1 passes per game, and was fifth with15.5 drives per game, this all represents an incredible offensive package that’s only going to get better.

Furthermore, Simmons’ play during the Sixers’ 16-game winning streak to conclude the regular season was simply phenomenal. During this span, Simmons averaged 14.0 points, 10.4 assists and 9.8 rebounds per game, and was a remarkable +213 while on the floor. Most impressively, these numbers came without the presence of Embiid for the final eight games of the season due to a fractured eye socket.