The reviews on Sacramento signing Ben Simmons have been mostly positive. But, NBA analyst Richard Jefferson believes this could be a big-time get for the Kings.
The Sacramento Kings' 15-man roster is almost set, with the recent signing of former No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons being the latest addition.
Simmons, who spent last season away from the NBA, had interest from multiple NBA teams upon his return, but landed in Sacramento on a one-year, $3.5 million deal.
Thus far, the deal has been praised by most analysts and media, citing Simmons' defensive versatility and ability to handle the ball.
But, some believe that this could be a home-run signing, with former NBA champion and 17-year veteran Richard Jefferson saying Simmons could be an All-Star this upcoming season.
"Ben has the talent to be an All-Star this year," Jefferson said on ESPN Australia. "If Ben goes and has the best season, he's healthy, his back is right, he has the talent to be an all-defensive player, to be a defensive player of the year level talent because he can guard one through five positions."
While an All-Star nod may be a bit far-fetched for Simmons, an All-Defensive nod should be one of his goals.
Simmons is a two-time All-Defensive First Team member, dating back to his time with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Across his career, Simmons has averaged 1.5 steals per game, while displaying versatility on that end of the floor.
With his size and agility, Simmons can hold his own against bigger players, while also switching onto and keeping up with smaller guards.
The Kings' potential defensive shortcomings have been noted throughout the offseason, so bringing in Simmons should help with some of those worries.
Offensively, Simmons will likely be used as a point forward who can initiate the Kings' offense off the bench, but he may be used in the frontcourt to provide Domantas Sabonis and Maxime Raynaud some much-needed defensive firepower.
According to his godfather and former LSU coach, David Patrick, Simmons has his "swagger" back that he had during his Rookie of the Year season, and is even taking jump shots again.
One of the biggest criticisms of Simmons throughout his up-and-down NBA career has been his lack of perimeter shooting ability, but Patrick has said that he is once again taking shots from deep.
If Simmons can develop a semblance of a 3-point shot, his game would become much more well-rounded.
Over his past few years in the NBA, Simmons has frequently been given a lot of space with the ball in his hands, which has made it more difficult to find driving lanes and be effective as a playmaker.
This would happen at a much smaller frequency if Simmons is able to develop perimeter shooting.
