Sunday, July 31, 2016

2016 NBA Draft Profile: Ben Simmons

(Artwork by Sean Curate)

On June 23Ben Simmons was selected by Brett Brown and the 76ers with the number one overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft. 

Let's look back at Simmons' profile before he was drafted in NBA.


Prospect Analysis

Strengths
  • High basketball IQ
  • Unselfish playmaker/facilitator
  • Good handle
  • Excellent rebounder
  • Good in transition as scorer or passer

Weaknesses
  • Has to develop a consistent face-up game in the midrange
  • Needs to cut down on turnovers

NBA projection: Draft analysts have long considered Simmons to be the No. 1 overall pick.

2015-16 Season
Ben Simmons was chosen the national freshman of the year by the USBWA, The Sporting News and USA Today, was the Southeastern Conference freshman of the year, and also made the All-SEC first team. He was a first-team All-America pick by the USBWA and second team by ESPN, Sports Illustrated and The Sporting News. Simmons left LSU was a trophy room full of individual honors, but the Tigers struggled early in the season and again in March, failing to earn a bid to the NCAA tournament or even the NIT. Some critics placed a lot of the blame for that on Simmons, but unfairly so. He performed as most recruiting analysts expected he would, ranking in the top five in the SEC in several statistical categories, including scoring, rebounding and assists.

Key statistics: 17.4 ppg, 11.8 rpg, 4.8 apg, 2.0 tpg, 3.4 spg, 34.9 mpg, .560 FG, .333 3PT, .670 FT

Cool statistic: Simmons racked up 23 double-doubles, tops among power conference players and fifth nationally. One of those double-doubles was a 40-point, 10-rebound effort against North Florida. He also added five assists and five steals, making him the first freshman in 20 years to put together a 40/10/5/5 game.


-- Profile by Chris Dortch, editor of the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook.

ARTICLE FROM POWCAST.NET SPORTS HUB

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