Ben Simmons Is/Is Not a Point Guard: A Thread

Ben Simmons is guard on the defensive end of the floor. In each of his seasons, he has spent the majority of his time defending opposing guards (2018 and 2019 are pictured below). Not only is he a "real" point guard on defense, (1/x)

2) ... he is *great* defensive guard. He has performed at a level equivalent to All-Defensive selection in each of his first two seasons, and is currently fourth-best in the league this season among high-load defenders despite having missed time due to injury. (2/x)

3) On defense, then, it is fair to conclude that Ben Simmons is and always has been a point guard.

But what about offense? Is Simmons a true point guard? After all, that's what we really mean when we call a player a point guard - we mean that he initiates the offense. (3/x)

Last year, when surrounded by more jump shooters than this year, I had Ben Simmons in the offensive role of a "3" - in essence, a versatile wing. The fit was good for Philly, as the Sixers' other starters were all offensive "2's". With teammates capable of spacing the floor (4/x)

5) Simmons was able to deploy his great passing ability and impressive feel in transition to ignite Philly's offense without having to fulfill *all* of the roles of a traditional lead guard. He was PHI's best passer, and generated more scoring opportunities than any Sixer. (5/x)

6) Though part of his profile resemble a PG, Simmons' turnover rates and shot profile much more closely match a complementary offensive player than a lead guard. His dribbles per TOV, touches per TOV, and passes per TOV are all lower than a traditional PG (compare McConnell)

7) What effect did Simmons' unusual style have? Philadelphia's shot distribution was noticeably distorted, as Simmons' low shot frequency pushes Embiid's and Harris' shot frequencies farther away from league average (1.0 on the chart) than is healthy for a team's offense. (7/x)

8) It appears that Ben Simmons has not been a traditional point guard on offense, but that he has been able to function effectively as the driver of an offense *in specific lineups.* With the loss of JJ Redick and Jimmy Butler, this season's Sixers are less well-suited ... (8/x)

9) ... to deploy Simmons as a PG than were last year's Sixers. Whatever one may think about the lavish contracts awarded to Al Horford and Tobias Harris, it is evident that Simmons' current skill set and performance profile will not work as a point guard in most normal contexts.

In order for Ben Simmons to *be* a true point guard, one of two things needs to happen:

1) Philly surrounds Simmons with quick jump shooters. While Harris and Horford have had good 3P% in various seasons, they are basically shooting bigs. *Their* greatest strength ... (11/x)

... comes from operating in pick-n-pop actions with a PG - the very action which is least feasible with an unusual point guard who is reticent to shoot jump shots and is still finding his way as a dribble penetrator. These types of players are not an effective network for Simmons

Option 2) Simmons develops a surer handle and passing accuracy *while on the drive* and improves his ability to get all the way to the cup against quick defenders. Making these steps would allow Simmons to put pressure on the defense and create opportunities for teammates ...

... in a way that simply hoisting jumpers will not. As Simmons is not currently a threat to *make* jumpers, shooting jumpers is not a valuable target. getting deeper into the paint, making better decisions in the middle of the floor, and developing a floater are actionable goals.

So, is Ben Simmons a real point guard? Not yet ... but he could be. He has a number of point guard skills on both sides of the floor, but is not a traditional lead guard that could function in that role on any team at this time.

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