Despite handing the Philadelphia 76ers a rude awakening of a preseason loss, Memphis Grizzlies head coach David Fizdale has plenty of praise for their rookie forward Ben Simmons, who failed to score in double figures during his 22 minutes on the floor, but ultimately filled out the box score with six points, seven rebounds, nine assists, and a blocked shot during a 21-point loss.
“I don’t want to see that for the next 15 years,” Fizdale said of Simmons, according to Jessica Camerato of CSN Philly. “That kid, they’re not talking about him enough… Once he gets confidence in his shot where you really have to close out all the way to the three, wow. He’s a big-time talent.”
Simmons' head coach Brett Brown had even more to laud his second-year rookie making his preseason debut.
“His breakaway speed, his ability to get to the rim, the pace of which he plays, I love,” Brown said. “His ability to see things, find corners. When defensive players just nudge him over, he can find stuff well.”
The 20-year-old was dynamic as they come, bringing the ball up the court with confidence and finding the right lanes to exploit passing angles and scoring opportunities for his teammates.
“Ben brings everything,” Sixers forward Robert Covington said. “He’s a monster on both sides. He doesn’t even realize how good he is just yet because he’s only played one game.”
Simmons' ceiling is high, but as Fizdale noted, he will have to fine-tune his shot before he becomes an unstoppable threat for this team.
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