Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons has long been criticized for his inability to shoot the basketball. In today's NBA, it almost seems imperative that a player is able to make it rain to some extent from downtown. But for Simmons, he is the exact opposite. And you know what? It's okay because his impact on the Sixers goes way further than scoring.

The Aussie averaged a career-low 14.3 points this season, but also dished out 6.9 assists and grabbed 7.2 rebounds per game. He's also shooting 61% from the line, which is definitely an area that needs to be worked on.

However, Game 1 against the Wizards on Sunday was the perfect example of why Simmons doesn't need to be a pure scorer. Sure, Tobias Harris had the day of his life for the Sixers, dropping 37 points, while Joel Embiid had 30. Simmons however, posted just six points. However, he also collected 15 assists and 15 rebounds. That is outrageous, in itself.

In fact, in Game 1, Simmons assisted on five of the Sixers' 10 3-pointers. He did a great job of drawing double-teams, which opened up teammates on the perimeter for good looks. Then, he was also a beast on the boards, quickly getting the Sixers going in transition on numerous occasions.

Doc Rivers even spoke postgame about just how important Simmons was in the victory, per NBC Sports Philadelphia:

“It’s funny, I thought he was special (today),” Rivers said. “Whoever he guarded struggled scoring. He created so many points for us tonight — off the glass to three; off transition to three; creating switches that they didn’t want to have.

“He’s a treasure. He’s something that you don’t see a lot in this league, and he has such a skill set that is so different. There’s a lot of people that can’t make what of him. All I see is greatness in him, and I just want him to keep doing what he’s doing.”

Where can you find a player in this league who can guard all five positions? Simmons is athletic and strong enough to do just that. It's hard for the fans of today's NBA to appreciate an old-school-type player like Ben Simmons. But, without his nightly contributions, the Sixers wouldn't be the No. 1 seed in the East and Embiid would surely not be an MVP candidate.

Keep doing what you're doing, Ben Simmons. You're making your team better in a number of ways and it's refreshing to watch.