If Philadelphia 76ers point guard Ben Simmons has one optimistic historical comparison for the trajectory of his career, it's likely the man that is currently the president of basketball operations for the Los Angeles Lakers: Magic Johnson.
Those are lofty expectations, but still, there is a link between the two men — one that has not been lost on Ben Simmons who expressed his desire to work with the NBA Hall of Famer this summer to improve his craft.
Ben Simmons confirmed that he would like to work with Magic Johnson over the offseason. Said he would like to learn from him since he’s in a similar position on the floor.
— Michael K-B (@therealmikekb) February 10, 2019
Simmons, much like Magic Johnson, has become a walking triple-double every time he steps into an arena. Nominated to the NBA All-Star team for the first time this season, Simmons entered play Sunday averaging 16.9 points, 9.3 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game for the Sixers. The 22-year-old has also recorded eight triple-doubles.
Despite those gaudy statistics, Simmons receives flack for the elements of his game which are not exemplary (i.e. his 3-point and free-throw shooting).
Simmons has taken just three 3-pointers all season, after having taken 11 as a rookie — none of which have found the bottom of the bucket. His free-throw percentage has increased his second year in the league, but only slightly, sitting at 59.1 percent through his first 54 contests with the Sixers.
With that in mind, it only seems logical that Simmons would want to take all elements of his game to the next level, even if it does mean working with a rival executive on the off-season. Countless rival players work out during the summer, but Simmons likely figures that if there's no one like him in the league currently, he'll have to tap into the legends.
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