Sixers: Realistic expectations for Ben Simmons’ rookie year

With all eyes on Ben Simmons after a lost year, he looks to produce early. Over time the Sixers have given their franchise cornerstone weapons, which begs the question, what are realistic stats that Simmons could put up this year?

When it was announced that Ben Simmons would be donning a Sixers uniform after being drafted by the team first overall in 2016, fans were jumping for joy. But after a Jones fracture in Simmons right foot, fans were forced to be patient as another Sixers rookie would miss an entire season.

On the right track to getting back to full health, he has the ability to put up some insane numbers in his first year in the NBA. Often compared to LeBron James, Simmons is a big man that can handle the ball, defend any position, rebound, create opportunities for his teammates, and is now working on becoming a better shooter. Lets take a look at what numbers Simmons can put up in his first year.

Points

The one knock on Ben Simmons so far has been for his inability to shoot. The great thing about the Sixers is that they don’t need Simmons to shoot the ball to be successful. While they still need an outside presence, whether it be through free agency or the draft, Simmons can do what he does best. This is slashing to the basket with the ball in his hands or posting up against a forward.  For being almost 250 lbs he is quick enough to cut through the lane past smaller defenders and also  big enough to bang on the inside against guys his own size or bigger.

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Yes, players like Joel Embiid, Dario Saric, and whoever the Sixers take with the 3rd pick in the draft will cut down on Simmons scoring chances, but I still believe that having the ball in his hands often will give him the ability to average around 14 points per game.

Rebounds

The amount of rebounds Simmons averages his rookie year is solely based on how Brett Brown decides to use him. If used as a point guard, which Brown has said he wants to do, Simmons might average less than he would by playing power forward.

By playing guard he will have to wait for the ball in order to start a fast break or just set up the offense rather than fighting for rebounds. What makes Simmons so unique is his ability to bump around in the paint and still bring the ball up, so Simmons should still get his fair share of boards, which is why I believe he will average in the neighborhood of 7 rebounds per game.

Assists

Shooting might be the weakest part of his game, passing is the exact opposite. Ben Simmons is in the very small percentage of players that can bring the ball up the court and make dazzling passes while also being big enough to play power forward.

Watching him thread the needle in Summer League was a thing of beauty and I’m convinced when he throws an alley oop to Joel Embiid during a regular season game the world might explode. Brett Brown wants the ball in his best players hands and that is understandable, and by doing that every other player on the court will be a beneficiary of Simmons great vision and tempo. With all that said I don’t think it’s out of the question to see Simmons average 5.5 assists per game.

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For the first time in years Sixers fans have a franchise cornerstone. After a year of waiting Ben Simmons will have his talents on full display. With the type of talent Simmons has, averaging 14 points per game, 7 rebounds per game, and 5.5 assists per game doesn’t seem far fetched.

Whether it be driving to the hoop, rebounding over a seven foot center, or passing the ball through defenses, he can and will do it all. A year of waiting may have seemed like a long time, but waiting for a player with these types of abilities is worth it.