Simmons Ranks Just Ahead of Westbrook on Top NBA PG List
Ben Simmons has taken on his fair share of criticism over the years due to the position he plays. Despite being listed at six-foot-eleven inches, Simmons plays a position that wouldn't typically suit a player of his size.
But when he came into the league, Simmons insisted he's a point guard. Although he doesn't shoot threes and rarely takes a jump shot outside of the paint, Simmons always believed his passing and crafty playmaking made up for that.
While that belief is debatable at this point in his career as his head coach even questioned his ability to be a point guard on a championship-winning team, Simmons is still viewed as a top ten point guard in the NBA, according to a list put together by HoopsHype's Frank Urbina.
Ranked just ahead of the No. 10 Los Angeles Lakers point guard Russell Westbrook is Sixers All-Star Ben Simmons. While Simmons certainly lacks key skills needed for the point guard position, he's made up for some of his setbacks in other ways.
"Simmons remains a solid playmaker, a downright terror in transition and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting last season, so even at his lowest, he was still an All-Star in 2020-21, hence his positioning in our rankings.
But the uber-talented point guard is going to have to show some improvement on the offensive end next season to get any higher than this."
At this point in his career, Simmons has reached his ceiling offensively. Simmons has shown little progression on that side of the ball since he debuted four seasons ago, as he's remained reluctant to expand his range on the offensive end.
Will he have a breakthrough next season? Only time will tell. While being viewed as a top ten point guard in a guard-driven league is a solid feat, Simmons entered the NBA with much higher expectations. Expanding his offensive game could allow him to reach another level -- but it's up to Simmons to grow the confidence that would allow him to step out of his comfort zone in a game setting and improve in other areas.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.
