The New York Knicks are looking to upgrade their lineup, and this former 16 ppg scorer has all the right tools to fit in perfectly.
The New York Knicks have been without a bench unit for quite some time, but have made significant efforts this offseason, signing Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele.
These are two guys who won’t steal games, but can contribute meaningful minutes and help take the load off their starters.
To fill out their rotation, they could go out and sign a former No. 1 overall pick and all-defensive team player, Ben Simmons.
“The key to maximizing Simmons will be surrounding him with shooting," CBS Sports' Sam Quinn said Thursday. "The Knicks have a shooting big man in Karl-Anthony Towns. The reserves they added this offseason, Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele, can both shoot.
Perhaps New York could lean on Simmons as a creator when Jalen Brunson goes to the bench. He gives them yet another big wing to deploy defensively, and if they want to switch as much as they did in the later stages of the postseason, Simmons can do so.”
One interesting point brought up is the pressure of playing in Madison Square Garden, something Simmons hasn’t dealt with greatly throughout his career.
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The Philadelphia 76ers' version of Simmons seemed to be an all-time great, averaging 16.9 points per game and being selected as an All-Star in his sophomore year.
On top of that, he has a history of filling the stat sheet and is even fourteenth on the NBA’s all-time triple-double leaderboard.
What the Knicks really would be looking for is his defensive abilities and his potential to push the pace and become a secondary creator.
This could be a great idea for Simmons' career if he can fully embrace the player he has turned into.
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