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SI article breaking down Simmons so far. Credit to those here who have already questioned his shot and wingspan
Simmons is a legitimate point forward who plays like a hybrid combination of Blake Griffin and Boris Diaw. He can handle like a guard, push the ball in transition, run an offense, and create shots for teammates in the half court. He’s the rare elite prospect who’s always looking to set up his teammates, whether he is driving the ball and kicking to a shooter, or making slick interior passes in traffic.
If there’s an early concern about Simmons, it’s his ability to shoot. With his quickness and ball-handling, opposing defenses are going to want to back off him as much as possible and dare him to beat them from the perimeter. He doesn’t seem all that comfortable pulling the trigger from deep (he has yet to attempt a 3-pointer yet), and that’s really the only hole in his game on the offensive side of the ball.
The real questions will come as the level of competition improves. How will Simmons fare against bigger NBA-caliber power forwards on the block? How will he fare on the perimeter against NBA-caliber wing players? Will his relatively short wingspan affect his ability to finish in traffic? How much can he impact the game playing off the ball in the half court if he remains a reluctant shooter? More than anything else, we want to see what he does in environments that more closely replicate what he will see in the NBA. Circle these two games on the calendar — Kentucky at LSU on Jan. 5 and the return match in Lexington on March 5.
http://www.si.com/thecauldron/2015/11/19/early-signs-nba-prospects-ben-simmons-lsu
Simmons is a legitimate point forward who plays like a hybrid combination of Blake Griffin and Boris Diaw. He can handle like a guard, push the ball in transition, run an offense, and create shots for teammates in the half court. He’s the rare elite prospect who’s always looking to set up his teammates, whether he is driving the ball and kicking to a shooter, or making slick interior passes in traffic.
If there’s an early concern about Simmons, it’s his ability to shoot. With his quickness and ball-handling, opposing defenses are going to want to back off him as much as possible and dare him to beat them from the perimeter. He doesn’t seem all that comfortable pulling the trigger from deep (he has yet to attempt a 3-pointer yet), and that’s really the only hole in his game on the offensive side of the ball.
The real questions will come as the level of competition improves. How will Simmons fare against bigger NBA-caliber power forwards on the block? How will he fare on the perimeter against NBA-caliber wing players? Will his relatively short wingspan affect his ability to finish in traffic? How much can he impact the game playing off the ball in the half court if he remains a reluctant shooter? More than anything else, we want to see what he does in environments that more closely replicate what he will see in the NBA. Circle these two games on the calendar — Kentucky at LSU on Jan. 5 and the return match in Lexington on March 5.
http://www.si.com/thecauldron/2015/11/19/early-signs-nba-prospects-ben-simmons-lsu
