The 2016 NBA Draft is one the 76ers, Pistons would like to do over
Detroit Pistons: Redrafting the 2016 draft fo the 76ers
First off, I am not as down on Ben Simmons as some other people, but it’s fair to say that he has not lived up to the expectations of a number one pick.
Simmons is a dynamic defensive player, one of the best in the NBA, and he’s a guy a lot of teams would love to have.
But he wasn’t the right complementary piece to add around superstar Joel Embiid in hindsight. It’s hard to kill the 76ers for taking Simmons, as he was the consensus number one pick at the time, but if they had to do it again, I think they’d go in a different direction.
Related Story. 5 worst free-agent signings in Pistons' history. light
Embiid’s ideal running mate is a guy who can score from the perimeter, as Embiid takes up a lot of space in the paint and is easier to defend if you can just park three guys down there to stop him.
Brandon Ingram, Jaylen Brown or Pascal Siakam would all have been better fits with Embiid, as they could provide the perimeter threat that Simmons does not.
Simmons might be the first 0-and-D player in the NBA, a guy who can defend anyone but can’t score. The 76ers have plenty of defense and could use another playmaker who can occasionally take the scoring load off Embiid.
Simmons is not terrible by any means but he isn’t the right fit. The 76ers have shown that “The Process” only works if you make the right picks in the NBA Draft.