NBA: Revisiting the 2019 rookie-scale max extensions
By Cade Walker
NBA rookie-max extension: Ben Simmons
Ben Simmons might have been the easiest decision out of these three to give a max contract. He won Rookie of the Year in his first season and made the All-Star team in his second season. However, Simmons might also come with the most question marks.
Simmons posted a similar slash line this season as he did in the previous season (16.9/ 8.8/ 7.7 last season, and 16.7/ 7.8/ 8.2 this season). This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. He’s close to a max-level player as of now. He’s a high-level playmaker, a great finisher at the rim, and a top-tier defender. Most of the concerns with Simmons revolve around his fit with Joel Embiid and his utter lack of a jump shot.
While it’s possible that he can develop a respectable jumper, the Sixers need to strongly consider the possibility that he won’t. His free throw percentage numbers, while improving significantly since his entrance into the league (56% his rookie year to 62.7% this season), are indicators that a jump shot might not be in the cards for him at the NBA level. Paired with the fact that he might be shooting with the wrong hand, the development of a jump shot for Simmons probably should fall on the “less than likely” end of the spectrum.
Is he still a max-level player without it? Everything else suggests almost certainly. Admittedly, it’s an issue when your lead ball handler can’t shoot outside of three feet from the rim, and the Sixers have probably been hurt by it. Still, this issue can be mitigated by team structure, which the front office in Philly hasn’t really capitalized on. The size that Simmons has gives them so many options. He can realistically play the 1-4 at a high level. His defensive versatility gives them unlimited options with personnel fit.
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In a vacuum, Simmons is one of the best playmakers in the league, someone who can guard positions 1-5 adequately, and still scores at the rim at an efficient level (posting a True Shooting percentage north of 60% this season). This type of player is someone who you can certainly build around, and even without a jump shot, is deserving of his rookie-scale max extension. Even the remote possibility of a jump shot developing only makes this player more enticing.