Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown recently admitted that he is planning to play this year's number one overall draft pick Ben Simmons at the point guard position next season.
The 6-foot-10, 240-pound former LSU standout has been known for his handles and passing ability despite his evident size and brawn, which may have led coach Brown to the idea of him handling some point guard chores in the upcoming term.
At the moment, the Sixers have undrafted sophomore TJ McConnell as their starting point guard with 30-year-old Spaniard Sergio Rodriguez and former North Carolina standout Kendall Marshall as backups.
"I can't wait for the season to begin and all over the place I'm very, very excited to start our season," said Brown, as per RealGM. "I think (Simmons) is going to have some taste of (point guard) for sure. He'll dictate that himself when he rebounds and leads the break. I've said it many times, I think the NBA point guard is the hardest position in the NBA."
The former San Antonio Spurs assistant coach then admitted that Simmons had "never played point guard, let alone NBA point guard", but he still thinks that he can handle the responsibility in different times on the court next season.
"I think initially we're going to play him in different positions and that (point guard) will certainly be one of them. I believe he's an elite passer. He has the mentality to do that first - and in a 6-foot-10 frame that weighs 240, 250 pounds, at 20 years old. That's a great package to work with to play multiple positions."
NBC Sports indicated that Simmons had shown his above average passing ability during this year's NBA Summer League both in "simple and spectacular" ways. However, it also showed that much of his game "needs to catch up with his passing skills" as he is still relatively raw in professional play.
"He's going to be a facilitator. You're going to see (Simmons) making plays. The ball will be in his hands and you can call what position you want," Brown said.
"He's certainly going to have the ball in his hands a lot, and everybody will certainly be reaping the benefits of that and truly enjoy playing with him. What we will say is we will give him the ball as much as we can," he added.
The Sixers had been rumored all summer to be dangling either Nerlens Noel or Jahlil Okafor in exchange for a veteran All-Star point guard, but no deals had been reached at the moment.
