Philadelphia 76ers’ star Ben Simmons has been slotted into the power forward position at practice inside the Orlando bubble.
Coach Brett Brown has been thrilled with what he has seen in practice thus far.
“He’s so dynamic,” Brown said on a conference call with reporters.
“Let’s just talk about running. There’s nobody faster in the NBA. So to always have the ball and dribble it up against five guys … to do that dilutes some of his potent weapons.”
Brown added, “So, watching him fly up the floor, watching him and Joel [Embiid] play off each other, has been a really good look. I think they’ve been fantastic together.”
Ben Simmons is an All-Star point guard. But I consider him an All-Universe point forward. He’s been practicing at PF down at Disney. I asked Brett Brown did he have to sell the #Sixers standout on the move. Here’s his response: pic.twitter.com/TU7CyOuscH
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) July 13, 2020
There has been a looming question over the Sixers head regarding the fit of their two All-Stars the last three years.
However, this season has been different with the addition of All-Star big man Al Horford last summer.
The fit between Horford and Embiid has been very odd and quirky, and at times, worse than that description.
With Simmons now being put at the four position, it leaves Horford as the odd man out, thus relegating him to the bench.
While Horford rode the pine in February, a back injury to Simmons’s back caused “Big Al” to be reinserted into the starting lineup.
His replacement in the lineup will most likely be Shake Milton.
Milton proved to be quite a revelation in Philly when injuries took a grip on the Sixers roster.
In 32 games this season, Milton averaged 9.5 points per game and shot 45 percent from behind the arc, while starting in 16 of the 32 games he played in.
Prior to the hiatus, Milton had scored in double figures in Philly’s last seven games, including a career-high 39 points in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers in LA.
Simmons is 6-foot-10 with amazing ballhandling skills and athleticism along with an ability to guard and play all positions on the court.
Now at power forward, he’ll be able to explore other areas of his game and be able to attack the rim more using his speed while setting more screens on the pick-and-roll.
The Sixers resume their season against the Indiana Pacers August 1.