Ben Simmons racks up incredible triple-double in Philly

Blake Griffin, Yao Ming, Tim Duncan, Grant Hill, Shaquille O’neal. They are just a few members on a very short list of players who have played in the All-Star game during their rookie season. After the freshman campaign that Ben Simmons has put together, his name deserved to join that exclusive club. Unfortunately, like many players before him, he was snubbed when the All-Star reserves were revealed on Wednesday.

Simmons is one of only three rookies in NBA history to average at least 15 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. The others? Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson. In case you were wondering, they too belong to the prestigious group of rookies in the aforementioned club.

If you’re still not convinced that this man earned a spot in the All-Star game festivities, let me remind you that his team currently sits in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, a feat many were unsure was possible before the season began. Now, the seed itself doesn’t stand out on its own, but when you consider Simmons has virtually carried the Sixers more nights than not, it makes his feats all the more impressive.

Need more convincing? Look no further than his most recent outburst against the Chicago Bulls. The Aussie scored 19 points, gobbled up 17 rebounds and handed out 14 sweet dimes on Philly’s way to a 115-101 win over Chicago. If you did a quick double take to make sure you read the stats correctly, I wouldn’t blame you. Ben Simmons put up videogame-like numbers against the helpless Bulls, and to be honest, he’s been doing this all season.

What’s so great about Simmons is his ability to affect a game in so many ways. Coming out of Louisiana State University, we knew he had the creativity and physicality to run an NBA offense while piling up the boards. However, for all the things we knew about Simmons, few if any expected him to score as much and as efficiently as he has this year.

He’s singlehandedly changed the dynamic of the Sixers offense with his facilitating, but for all the high praises, his game possesses a glaringly hideous flaw. His jump shot is a train wreck. He’s managed to mask his poor shooting by taking few shots from outside of 10 feet, but when he does, the result is anything but pretty.

While not all players need knockdown shooting to be effective, in the modern age of small ball, it’s become increasingly difficult for NBA teams to employ players who can’t drain an open triple. The incredibly talented point forward has yet to sink a shot from outside the arc and that’s likely to be the case for the rest of his debut go-round. It’s not the end of the world that he hasn’t developed a shot yet, but the group he joins by failing to accomplish this simple task is a mixed bag of shooting success.

Here are the last five players who didn’t make a trey in their opening season: Emeka Okafor, Elton Brand, Tim Duncan, Chris Webber and Shaquille O’Neal. With the exception of Emeka Okafor and Elton Brand, all of these players are NBA legends in their own right. With that said, imagine how much greater these players would have been had they ever expanded their range with a legitimate three point jumper. Would Michael Jordan still be in the conversation for greatest player to grace the court? Probably, but you get what I’m saying.

Ben Simmons doesn’t need a jumper to elevate his game to All-Star status, he’s already there. Heck, he doesn’t really need one to become an all-time great. Nonetheless, if he wants to become the greatest player ever to play the game of basketball, it’s an essential weapon to add to his already dangerous arsenal.

The 6-foot-10 rookie has the talent to be one of the best ever to lace them up. Regardless, talent alone doesn’t secure you a place in history, otherwise every player in the league would be headed to the Hall of Fame the very minute they stepped on the hardwood. I sincerely mean it when I say sky’s the limit for the 21-year-old Melbourne native, but it’s up to him to determine his career path.

All signs indicate he’s got the drive and passion to make himself an unstoppable force, but all too often, players on the path to greatness get complacent. And in this league, complacency kills careers. For all our sakes, here’s to hoping that Simmons never becomes satisfied.