Sixers select Ben Simmons with the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft
NEW YORK -- At 7:37 p.m. ET, Adam Silver made the expected official.
The Philadelphia 76ers selected Ben Simmons with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. The 6-10, 240-pound playmaker has been projected to be the top pick for some time now, and once he held his only pre-draft workout with the club on June 21, reports began to surface that the Sixers had made their decision.
TRUST THE PROCESS FAM #WeWereTalkingAboutRihanna lol pic.twitter.com/xdswU4NjAF
— Joel Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) June 21, 2016
"I'm happy to be part of the family now," Simmons said. "It's a weight off my chest. I've been looking forward to this day for a while, so I'm glad I've made history, not only for myself but my family and Australian basketball."
The organization had a unique insight into exactly who Simmons is thanks to a long-standing relationship the 19-year-old has with head coach Brett Brown, who coached Simmons' father in Australia and has known the family since before Simmons was born.
"I coached Ben's father a long time ago; I've known Ben since he was born," Brown told USA Today. "I've known his family since the late '80s. Just having that knowledge of where he was raised, understanding that culture -- I also lived 17 years in Australia. There are a lot of different connections (related to that) that I think help make me better informed. This will help our organization make a more calculated decision. He's obviously an extremely talented young man who comes from a great family."
Simmons possesses a strong physical frame and an elite level of athleticism that would seem to make him a natural to produce at the NBA level. He has excellent ball-handling skills, quickness that allows him to get out and score in transition, and exceptional court vision that lets him make plays for others. He's been compared to players like Blake Griffin, Boris Diaw and Lamar Odom.
There were questions about his work ethic and a lack of competitiveness he displayed at times during his only season at LSU. But he certainly had his share of highlights while averaging 19.2 points, 11.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 34.9 minutes per contest.
Simmons will need to improve his effort on the defensive end, as well as develop a consistent outside shot. But his overall talent made him the obvious choice, and for a Sixers team that has finally made the decision to prioritize winning over rebuilding, it wouldn't have made sense to take a chance on anyone else.
"It honestly feels like all this pressure just has hopped off me," Simmons said. "Now I can relax, but now I know where I'm going to be. More importantly, I know where I'm headed and know I can really start working on what I need to work on for the team."
