[Dazzling Dunks and Basketball BloopersParticipant]

 According to sixers coach Brett Brown, the sixers will use Simmons exclusively as a pg when he returns from injury. Just to be clear, he is not talking about using him in a "point forward" role like lebron, draymond green, Lamar Odom etc. He is talking about using him as pg in the truest sense of the position, including having all the responsibilities of the pg position, including defending other pgs. 

I initially thought it would be a bad idea for Simmons to play the point right off the bat but the more I think about it the more I actually sort of like the idea. Even though Simmons has never played the point before at any level, he clearly possesses a lot of the instincts for the position. His best skill right now is his ability to create shots for others. His offensive game as far as scoring the ball is kind of undeveloped, and putting him in a role where his primary focus would be to distribute could ease some of the burden and expectations that come with being the top pick. 

Not that it won’t come without it challenges. Simmons will be learning the position on the fly. He will definitely need to tighten up his handle under pressure and learn how to run an offense in the half court (which is a lot different than transition). It will no doubt create defensive mismatches as there is no way Simmons will be able to stick with players like curry, Westbrook, etc. on the perimeter no matter what brown says. However, the sixers are in a position to experiment a bit at this point. 

So what are everyone’s thoughts on Simmons playing point? Is it the best use of his skill-set?

 

 

 

 

[EndlessknightParticipant]

Brown later retracted a bit local sports radio and said he doesn’t expect Simmons to guard PGs. So he’ll play the point on offense and SF/PF on defense, that sounds like a point forward to me.

[binetParticipant]

 Curry does not guard PGs most of the time.

Current Sixers PG Rodriguez almost never guards opposing PG.

I think Brown stating he is a PG means legit PG. He will at times guard opposing PGs, not necessarily, and most of the time not, like many other PGs in this league. Covington and Henderson are already guarding PGs on this team every time Sergio is on the floor, and when the game is on the line when McConnel is.

The idea is clearly that currently the best players are Embiid, Covington, Ilyasova and Saric. Playing Simmons PF or even SF would mean taking precious minutes of anther of their core men, not necessarily a jump. Trying him at PG is a good experiment for various reasons, including the one of playing as many NBA level talent as possible at the time. This team needs to get rid of the Stauskas-McConnell duo that would not start in Europe.

 

 

 

[EndlessknightParticipant]

Then who do Curry and Rodriguez guard?

[trelos6Participant]

Good news for Philly, as long as he gets the ball to Embeast. 

[SubZeroParticipant]

He’ll definitely get him the ball. Simmons is definitely smart enough to realize Embiid is the best and one of the only offensive threats on the team

[SlickBouncePassParticipant]

Coach is a good development guy, he doenst have a clue how to put his players in the optimal positions to win.  He gets his players to play hard, so he’s good at motivating and development, even development is iffy.  Scheme wise he is a moron.  He is terrible with subs, and has no idea who to play with whom etc.

There was no need to go out in public and say "Simmons is my PG" before the dude even practices with the team.  The best thing to say is "Simmons is a playmaker, a guy that will make everyone around him better, and we want to use him just as that on offense and defense, whatever the other teams decide to do, Simmons will be making plays for us".

Not, he will be a PG in the Magic Johnson Isiah Thomas sense.  Thats so ridiculous to bookend your expectations for a player.

 

 

 

 

  

[vulture711Participant]

 I think he can be a point guard in the Magic Johnson sense.  Why not ?  Seeing the floor and passing are his best skills, he can grab it and go, push the pace, get where he wants with his dribble, post smaller guards, pass out of any double teams.  To me Magic, as far as a skill set, is probably the best comparison.  I know people are resistant to it with his size, but why not ?  Sticking with points…we’ll see, but Magic had the same issue….benefit was he had a guy like Michael Cooper who could guard 3 spots and allow him to shift on D if need be.  I’m looking forward to it.  I think he should stop worrying about bulking up and slim down some and focus on speed and explosion.  He’s going to casue his own mismatch problems – especially in the post where he is really good with both hands.  Certainly can’t be any worse checking point guards than Rodriguez….El Matador Ole

 

[binetParticipant]

 I think part of the idea is Simmons’s.

He was pictured with a Magic jersey a lot before the draft and I think he himself kind of want to try it.

I also think it was part of Colangelo and Brown’s idea from the beginning and even before the draft to at least try the Magic experiment.

As good as Simmons could be as a 4, his ceiling is much higher as a PG. I myself doubt he truly can be a 1 at the NBA level, but that’s where his attributes and talent would shine the most, and honestly the position I put him at when I envision him as a possible MVP caliber player. Being a big guy who runs and dribble at his pace is practically irrelevant at the 4. Magic is considered the all-time best PG, Simmons is the closest to Magic we’ve seen since, at least try him. Even more when you are losing anyway.

 

 

 

 

[nath09Participant]

 

"doenst have a clue how to put his players in the optimal positions to win. " 

 I don’t watch enough Sixers to say that’s wrong; but you can’t take a dump in a bowl and enter it in a cake show expecting to take home the first place ribbon.

He hasn’t had a lot to work with to actually win games since he’s been there.

 

[HitsterParticipant]

I still figure he is going to be some sort of point forward even if he is playing at PG on offence. The Greek Freak does a similar role so I’d figure the same for Ben. A guy of his size would not be quick enough to guard small quick PG’s up and down court all night but he would be a huge mismatch for a 6ft 2ins PG on offence and his length will be a great asset on defence if he picks up the opposing SF on defence.

The 76ers could still draft a PG next year who wasn’t a real pass first PG and that person could do some ball handling but the 76ers would really be looking for a guy who could play good backcourt defence and is a good shooter.

Otherwise someone like Josh Jackson would be a natural fit, he could play SG and some SF when Simmons isn’t on court and he’d help spread the play even more.

[ropeParticipant]

 I saw Magic play in HS, at MSU and, obviously, in LA.  Simmons looks more like him in the open floor than anyone I can think of since.  It is just going to take someone with the nuts to hand him the ball and let him run the show.  Whoever plays the 2 covers the point guard on defense.  Magic ended up being a good defender at the point.  I hope they give it a try, just on the off chance Simmons really is that player.  It would be a blast to watch Showtime redux.

[Author]

Posts