Lakers Draft Prospects: Ben Simmons Breakdown

Defense

Because of how versatile he is and how much potential he’s shown as an offensive player, Simmons’ prowess on the other end of the floor might sometimes get overlooked to a certain degree. However, that should never be the case with what he’s capable of, starting with his effectiveness on the glass.

Simmons averaging over 12 rebounds per game through his freshman year is no mistake at all. He’s tremendously active in getting on the boards and reading angles of where the ball is going to come off. Moreover, he’s also regularly diligent in returns of finding a body and boxing them out, though he does show the lapses that young players tend to do.

Like on offense, though, Simmons’ versatility is an undeniable strength. He obviously has the frame and size to cause problems for opposing offensive players on the interior, but also possesses the quickness to step out on the perimeter and contain much smaller players that would blow by most guys his size, as seen on this play defending Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield as he switches on the pick-and-roll:

Of course, Simmons still shows the lack of commitment or awareness on the defensive end that many players his age do. Moreover, he’ll have to become more committed and not rely as heavily on his physical gifts as he transitions to the NBA. However, he has the makings of a truly devastating defensive player at any level.

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