Pacers: Ranking Domantas Sabonis among other 2019 rookie extensions
By Josh Wilson
Ben Simmons is maxing out and proving he deserves it
Five years, 25% max salary projected $168,200,000 (33,640,000 per year)
Ben Simmons is the most talented player to receive an extension of this grouping of players, and his max salary is well worth it. Though Simmons refuses to take outside shots, he is one of the best 3-point creators of all-time.
Simmons combines incredible ball-handling skills, a feel for the game, and a desire to facilitate for his teammates with an extremely large stature. Standing at 6-10 with a muscular frame, Ben Simmons can power his way into the paint and get to the rim and has the height to see over his defenders to find needle-threading opportunities that give his teammates impossibly good looks.
Simmons needs to take some 3-pointers, plain and simple. Otherwise, the only way he works as the prime creator is if all four players around him can sink shots from range. This year for the Sixers, that did not happen.
Simmons is also one of the best perimeter defenders and defenders in general in the NBA, ranking at first in steals per game.
If Simmons can start sinking shots from distance, he has a ceiling that rivals that of Giannis Antetokounmpo. Giannis is more dominant in every area, but Simmons is not that far off. Quickly climbing the league’s ladder, for some he’s already considered to be one of the league’s 10 best players, with the potential to be top five.
Still, $33 million per season and max money for a player that hasn’t been willing to expand his offensive game to include an outside shot yet. Simmons so far is proving to be well worth the money, but this ranking is based on value, not pure skill.
Absolutely no disrespect to Philly for extending Simmons, he was worth it.