May move to power forward Philadelphia head coach Brett Brown said Monday that Simmons has been practicing exclusively at power forward since the 76ers resumed training in Orlando a few days ago, Serena Win... Impact Meanwhile, Shake Milton has been serving as the 76ers' first-unit point guard, the position in which Simmons has played 81 percent of his minutes since entering the NBA, per Basketball-Reference. At 6-foot-10 with a seven-foot wingspan, Simmons has been an imposing presence on the defensive end against opposing point guards, but his nonexistent perimeter game (two career made three-point attempts) and poor free-throw shooting (career 59.4 percent mark) has undermined some of the impact of his excellent passing skills on the other side of the court. Over the past few practices, Brown has said that Simmons has been "killing it" while playing alongside Joel Embiid, suggesting the two co-stars will likely work as the starting frontcourt tandem when the 76ers return to action Aug. 1 versus the Pacers. If the move to power forward proves to be a permanent one, Simmons would likely see his assist rate plummet while he plays off the ball more frequently, but he should hold steady in most other categories.
JULY 13, 2020 • ROTOWIRE