Ben Simmons is back in the NBA again after signing with the Sacramento Kings, joining Trey Lyles for the Minnesota Timberwolves and Mario Herzonja for the Cleveland Cavaliers as veterans who made a return to the league after spending a year elsewhere. Simmons had decidedly less interest than those two names, but was reportedly also pursued by the champion New York Knicks and Portland Trail Blazers.
Maybe Victor Oladipo will be the next player to get his chance at a triumphant return, even after so much.
It feels obvious, but it's worth mentioning that even just at 30, Simmons is not the player he was at 23 for the Philadelphia 76ers. His athleticism has been sapped by a series of back injuries that coincided with an unfortunate mental break that made his career fall off a very abrupt cliff.
Still, there is a reason the Kings have chosen to sign Simmons beyond his ticket-selling appeal as a former All-NBA player in a vacuum. Despite the drastic fall off, he still possesses a group of skills that a team could use.
Unfortunately, the team that could've really used that skillset is the Indiana Pacers.
Stay with me here.
Ben Simmons has a very specific set of skills
No one is bringing in Ben Simmons expecting a star or even a starter (for his sake, hopefully). No, they're bringing him in to be a decent option off the bench as a point forward and three-point shot generator.
Simmons was among the best in the league at creating open three-point shots for teammates when he was on the Sixers. In fact, it was one of the very few of his skills that managed to stay elite as his athleticism waned.
Bringing that to the Kings will make everyone's lives easier. Maxime Raynaud, who had an excellent rookie season as a second-round pick, will see more help defensively on the inside and an extra playmaker to play off of (although he likely wants to be the playmaker himself).
No player will be better served by having Simmons than rookie guard Darius Acuff Jr. Few players have worse shot selection alongside a more shot-making dependent value than the Arkansas guard who may just be the least motivated defender in the league.
Putting a defensive presence like Simmons to hide Acuff while also allowing him to get easier open shots if he's willing to play off the ball.
In a way, the Kings' starting lineup is remarkably similar to the Pacers' bench. Andrew Nembhard is functionally a far better Acuff. Huff is similar to Raynaud. Most importantly, though, Simmons, in an ideal sense, does everything the Pacers want Jarace Walker to do but better.
He creates open shots for others; he's an involved and connected team defender, and he can run in transition.
It won't be big enough of a mistake to matter, but if Simmons regains even his early Brooklyn Nets form, the Pacers' biggest problem, their bench, would've had an obvious solution that they simply ignored.
That would be a pretty massive regret, and the difference between contending and staying afloat.
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