The Philadelphia 76ers have overachieved during the 2016-2017 NBA season, especially when considering that Joel Embiid appeared in fewer than half of the team’s games and No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons was not able to make his professional debut due to injury. However, expectations will be rather high for the team next season if both Embiid and Simmons return to full health in time for the season opener. A nugget of information recently leaked out that would make things even scarier for the rest of the league.
Former NBA standout World B. Free indicated on a recent broadcast of a Sixers game that Simmons has actually grown two inches. While that may not seem too earth-shattering, the former LSU forward was already listed at 6’10, and considering his point guard-like skills, it would be devastating if he was actually a near seven-footer at this early stage.
Here is what Mr. Free had to say about Simmons:
“It seems like Ben Simmons grew about another two inches since he’s been here. I told him that the other day, I said, ‘Ben, you look like you’ve grown another two inches since you’ve been here.’ His arms are long, he’s lean, he’s in shape. When I watched him in practice — just in practice — he’s like a baby Magic Johnson. He’s practiced with LeBron — he worked out with LeBron — so LeBron’s probably going to beat him up and make him strong.”
While taking one story as gospel can be problematic, WIP-FM Sixers reporter Jon Johnson quickly confirmed that Simmons is now “just under” seven feet tall and he later indicated that the tantalizing prospect could “at or slightly above” seven feet by next season. From a practical perspective, it may not matter just how tall Simmons is, especially if he is operating with the ball in his hands as an offensive creator like many expect. Still, the thought of a player of his size playing on the perimeter can only be duplicated by a few players in the league (i.e. Kevin Durant) and Simmons might act as Philadelphia’s “point guard” offensively upon arrival.
The concept of a seven-foot point guard would be a new one in the NBA. Simmons has already been (aggressively) compared to Magic Johnson, LeBron James and others due to his court vision, awareness and passing ability. Those parallels are quite lofty but Ben Simmons is a tremendous prospect that looks to be ready to hit the ground running as a “rookie” in 2017-2018. If he’s actually seven feet tall, look out.
(Via Ball Don’t Lie)
