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NBA Draft: 30 greatest No. 1 overall picks in league history

By Josh Cornelissen

25 Jun 1997: Center Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs speaks with a reporter during the NBA Draft at the Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina. Mandatory Credit: Craig Jones /Allsport
25 Jun 1997: Center Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs speaks with a reporter during the NBA Draft at the Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina. Mandatory Credit: Craig Jones /Allsport /
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Ben Simmons
Ben Simmons Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images /

NBA Draft: 30 greatest No. 1 overall picks in league history: 27. Ben Simmons

Ben Simmons was questioned as the first overall pick when he declared for the NBA Draft in 2016. The Australia native spent just one year at LSU, a disappointing one where Simmons filled up the stat sheet but the team drastically underperformed expectations and missed the NCAA Tournament. On draft night, the Philadelphia 76ers looked past the concerns and took him first overall.

A foot injury pushed back the start of Simmons’ career by a season, putting his rookie year in 2017-18. Right from the start, Simmons showed what a unique and versatile player he was, averaging 15.8 points, 8.1 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game as a rookie. Now in his fourth season, Simmons continues to impact the game in a myriad of ways, including as one of the game’s best forward defenders.

Just four seasons into his career, Simmons has made three All-Star Games and one All-NBA team. The Philadelphia 76ers have made the playoffs every single year, giving Simmons very few meaningless games to tally stats. The high-stakes nature of being on an Eastern Conference contender has set the table to show off his versatile impact but has also highlighted his complete lack of shooting and how that negatively impacts the Philadelphia 76ers’ offense.

Simmons is a unique player, an elite defender and playmaker but one who is not made to be a team’s primary offensive option. The 76ers have slowly crafted a roster that fits around Simmons and fellow two-way star Joel Embiid. Moving forward, if the 76ers can make it work, Simmons could continue to thrive with a franchise that clearly believes in him.

If things don’t work in Philadelphia, then Simmons could be the centerpiece of a package for a star player. In other cities, he could be the centerpiece, a role that could be difficult for him but would also allow him to truly stretch his wings. Whatever the path ahead, Simmons has had almost as good of a start to his career as you could ask.