The Philadelphia 76ers have been running 6-foot-10 Ben Simmons at point guard throughout his career thus far–but that looks like it could be ending soon–and that is where he has been ranked for the 2019-20 season. He was ranked top 5 at his position, but what about in the entirety of the league?
A top 100 players list was put out by Bleacher Report and they have the ultra-talented Simmons coming in ranked 15th on the list just behind Karl-Anthony Towns and just ahead of Paul George.
B/R on Simmons’ ranking:
Ben Simmons’ finite offensive range is problematic in that nearly 90 percent of his attempts come inside eight feet. He doesn’t even have break-in-case-of-emergency touch beyond there. And yet, his limitations are far from crippling.
Simmons has the speed and size (6’10”) to thrive amid his own shortcomings. He’s still in the 93rd percentile of finishing around the rim, and defenses remain inclined to collapse around him when he’s going downhill.
It is within this chaos that Simmons’ passing IQ shines. He is a drive-and-kick whiz and has the floor awareness to hit trailing shooters and sling dimes to the corners. No one has assisted on more three-pointers than him, according to PBP Stats.
Obviously, Simmons could definitely use a jump shot as his career continues, but there is also no denying the fact that he one of the top players in the league. He has a glaring weakness, but yet he affects the game in so many ways due to his elite talent level. [lawrence-related id=34604,34586,34576]