Historic Look at Ben Simmons’ Path Back to All-Star Status With Kings

The Sacramento Kings enter next season with little to no expectations, which means one of two things is going to be true. They'll either be just as bad as everyone thinks and finish at or near the bottom of the NBA standings again, or they'll shock everyone and climb out of the NBA basement with an odd mix of young players and veterans.

Even a .500 finish would feel like a huge win for the Kings coming off a disappointing 22-win season last year. And just like when failing to reach high expectations hurts even more, such as a championship contender failing to get out of the first round of the playoffs, exceeding expectations feels even better when they were so little to begin with.

It's what made the 2022-23 Beam Team year so special in Sacramento. Many hoped and thought the Kings would be better that year, but no one had expected them to finish third in the tough Western Conference.

While a projected bottom-of-the-standings finish isn't an ideal way to start the year for Sacramento, it leaves the door open for a shock factor that could net a few players awards on the Kings. I've already written how it could potentially propel Darius Acuff Jr. to the runaway rookie of the year, and it could potentially get someone back to the All-Star game for the first time in years.

Ben Simmons Return

I'll be the first to admit, this is a pretty ridiculous conept for an article. Ben Simmons is back in the NBA after missing all of last season, and hasn't played at or near his All-Star form in years. But, in the quiet parts of the offseason, it's worth exploring what other circumstances have helped a player return to the All-Star team after a long hiatus like Simmons.

The former first overall pick last made the All-Star team in the 2020-21 season with the Philadelphia 76ers. In what ended up being his final year for the 76ers, he averaged 14.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 6.9 assists on 55.7% shooting from the field.

That makes it six years this year since Simmons joined the All-Star roster, which in NBA terms feels like a lifetime ago. And looking back at the historic numbers, it shows just how long six years can be in the association.

Historic All-Star Returns

Apr 24, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat guard Kyle Lowry (7) defends Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday (21) in the first quarter during game four of the 2023 NBA Playoffs at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Since the 2000-01 season, there have been just three instances where a player made an All-Star team, had five or more seasons without an All-Star berth, and then got back to the coveted spot to reclaim their All-Star status.

The most recent example is actually from last year, as Brandon Ingram was an All-Star for the Toronto Raptors for the first time since the 2019-20 season with the New Orleans Pelicans. If Simmons were to shock the NBA world and become an All-Star once again, that would match Ingram's time between selections.

Ingram averaged 21.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists on 47.7% shooting from the field and 38.2% shooting from three last season, but most importantly, he played in 77 games. While he doesn't have the same injury history as Simmons, the two are decently similar in concept. It's been injuries that have kept Ingram from putting together multiple All-Star bids, rather than his talent.

The other example of a six-year gap is Manu Ginóbili, who made the All Star team for the first time in 2004-05, and then not again until 2010-11. Ginóbili had the benefit of moving into the starting lineup full-time that 2010-11 season and averaged a career-high 17.4 points, tied his career-high 4.9 assists, and grabbed 3.7 rebounds on the dynastic San Antonio Spurs squad.

Last but not least, there's the insane example of Jrue Holiday, who went ten years between appearances. Not only are there only two other recent examples of players having six years between appearances, but the gap between Ingram and Ginóbili, and Holiday at ten, is wild.

In 2022-23, his third season with Milwaukee, though, Holiday helped lead the Bucks to the top seed in the Eastern Conference. He averaged 19.3 points, 7.4 assists, and 5.1 rebounds on 47.9% shooting from the field and 38.4% from three. With his only other All-Star appearance coming in the 2012-13 season with the Philadelphia 76ers, it was quite the accomplishment for Holiday to break back into the elite group.

Long-Shot

Jan 17, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons (10) dunks against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Again, I'll be the first to admit that it's more than a long shot for Simmons to get back to the All-Star game this year, but history shows that it is possible. Is it likely? Certainly not. But the expectations are so low for the Kings that if Simmons is the leading factor in them getting out of the NBA cellar, it would be hard to ignore him come mid-season.

If that's the case, then everything about the Kings would shift, and their trajectory would immediately be on a different timeline. Which, for the quiet days of the offseason, is at least fun to think about.

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