We’ve all seen the criticisms about Ben Simmons, all the jokes and memes about how he’s reportedly getting paid a max deal by the Philadelphia 76ers — five years at $170 million — but he still can’t develop a jump shot.
I’m here to squash that. Simmons is more than worth a max deal, even with that major flaw.
Let’s start with the numbers: How many players have averaged over 16 ppg, 8 rpg, 7 apg and 1 spg in a season, as Simmons just did in 2019-20? That would be 21 names, ones that include Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, LeBron James and Grant Hill. How many of them did it at age 22? Johnson was 21 in 1980-81 and did it the next year at 22, along with Simmons.
So, yeah, it’s an understatement to say there’s something extremely special about Simmons and what he brings as a 6-foot-10 point forward. And it’s possible he’s getting even better after just two seasons, something a franchise like the Sixers needs to pay for now.
As for that shooting flaw? Yes, it’s a problem. We’ve spent two straight postseasons seeing how opponents find ways to neutralize him.
Perhaps he’s Blake Griffin, a player who relied on out-of-this-world athleticism for so many years but who had to remake his game to adapt as injuries and age robbed him of his hops. He just finished a season in which he hit 2.5 threes a game nearly a decade after he hit treys at a 29.2 percent clip while barely attempting any in his rookie season. So developing an outside shot can happen (plus, we know from Tobias Harris that he’s working “religiously” to gain some confidence to shoot) and it might turn Simmons from fantastic to unstoppable. Again, the Sixers should put their bet on that potentially happening.
Speaking of Harris, Philly has also put together a rotation that mostly covers up Simmons’s shooting struggles. Harris, Josh Richardson, Al Horford and Joel Embiid are all deep threats and I assume Zhaire Smith will be too. That helps Simmons, who can keep going to the basket and kick out when defenders descend.
All together, you can see why Simmons is worth it … and why he might even be worth more in the not too distant future.
