Rating the NBA’s top rookies
76ers’ Ben Simmons, left, leads strong class
PHILADELPHIA – The minute Philadelphia 76ers rookie Ben Simmons stepped on the court for his first professional game, he was ready to excel in the NBA.
“I feel like I’ve been preparing for this moment my whole life,” Simmons told USA TODAY. “I put a lot of work in during the summer and when I was out all last season to get ready. There’s no secret to it. Just working hard.”
In the Sixers’ season opener, Simmons had 18 points, 10 rebounds and five assists; three games later, he had his first triple-double (21 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists); and five games after that, he became the second player in NBA history to record two triple-doubles in his first nine games, joining Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson.
Playing with the poise and confidence of a five-year veteran, Simmons already is the favorite to win the Rookie of the Year award in a deep rookie class. Entering Tuesday, he is nearly averaging a triple-double at 18 points, 9.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists and is shooting 51.6% from the field.
“He completely exceeds his limited years in the league,” Sixers coach Brett Brown said. “I’m not anointing him a veteran, because he still has a long way to go, but you just feel he isn’t a ninegame rookie.”
There are reasons for Simmons’ impressive debut. Although he is a rookie, the 6-10 Simmons was drafted first overall in 2016 but missed the 2016-17 season recovering from surgery on his right foot to repair a Jones fracture. Jones fractures need plenty of time to heal, as Kevin Durant and Brook Lopez have experienced.
Simmons, 21, balanced the frustration of not playing with the patience of understanding the big picture.
“I knew it was going to take a long time and get back to where I was and even better than that,” he said. “Just knowing I want to be one of the best players who ever played, there was no need for me to rush because I have plenty of time.”
The missed season had benefits for Simmons beyond letting his body heal and improving his strength. If experience is the best teacher, then observing and absorbing is the next best way to learn.
“Just learning the game from the point where I could see the whole floor and not just be on the court,” Simmons said. “It gave me an advantage coming into the season. I think that’s going to pay off a lot this season.”
Brown said Simmons sitting out last season was priceless. He called it his version of the Jon Gruden QB Camp. Let’s call it the Brett Brown Point Guard Camp, where Brown and Simmons watched video, delving deep into defensive coverages and how Simmons can exploit them.
“To sit in my office, I can talk to him and educate him and talk my words,” Brown said. “It’s a like foreign language, NBA verbiage, and you get a chance to learn that. You get a chance to mentally absorb a game. You can watch it and you can feel it and I can talk to him in my office, the game, halftime, text and ask, ‘What did you see?’
“It is a massive benefit to sit out for a year and not be thrown into the fire from the get-go. That’s why rookies struggle.”
Simmons knows how to run the Sixers offense with his unique skill set: size and length; court vision; ability to make passes; quickness; ballhandling skills; scoring without a reliable three-point shot.
“Offensively, no one has the same game as me. People do similar things, but everyone has a different game,” Simmons said. “When I see an opportunity, I just take it, whether it’s an open lane or the defense sitting back.”
He keeps his offensive game simple, too. He can make the flashy no-look pass — he knows how to beat the weakside defense with cross-court passes — but more often, it is a fundamental pass to a teammate at the three-point line. Forty-one of his 74 assists have been on three-pointers.
He is seventh in the league in assists and fifth in points created by assists at 21 per game, behind Russell Westbrook, James Harden, John Wall and LeBron James.
Simmons is quick to pass the ball, too, adhering to Brown’s philosophy of holding the ball no more than half-asecond before either passing or dribbling.
“If you’re attacking and moving and passing, you’re going to catch somebody sleeping,” Simmons said. “It’s difficult to play defense for 24 seconds.”
While he needs to develop a threepoint shot yet, that’s not even on the list of his priorities right now. He can still score by getting into the lane with his quickness and size, especially on fast breaks or in transition. Even in pickand-rolls when defenders go under the screen, Simmons still finds a lane to the basket.
“Ben’s not worried about what he can’t do,” said his agent, Rich Paul. “He’s focused on what he can do, which is playing the right way and being a good teammate. When you do those things, you’re going to have success. Most guys are trying to get back last year in one game. He hasn’t done that. It’s not who he is. He’s comfortable being who he is.”
As good as he’s been, Simmons will get better.
“I’ve always loved playing the game, and the work aspect comes from knowing how good you can be and how great you want to be,” he said. “I see the way LeBron works and how he takes care of himself. That fuels me, because I want to be one of the best players in the league.”