76ers Star Ben Simmons Poised For Positional Change As NBA Restart Nears

We all know him as the incredibly-athletic 6 foot 10 inch point guard.

But it appears Ben Simmons is set for a drastic change of positions as the Philadelphia 76ers prepare for life in the safeguarded NBA bubble of Walt Disney World.

It's understood head coach Brett Brown has been playing the All-Star Aussie at power forward during team practices - and he's beyond impressed with what he's seen from the 23-year-old.

"He's so dynamic," Brown told reporters on a conference call.

"Let's just talk about running. There's nobody faster in the NBA. So to always have the ball and dribble it up against five guys ... to do that dilutes some of his potent weapons.

"So, watching him fly up the floor, watching him and Joel [Embiid] play off each other, has been a really good look. I think they've been fantastic together."

Simmons has been playing power forward during team practices

The 2019-20 campaign hasn't exactly been smooth sailing for the 76ers with the team failing to live up to pre-season expectations.

But for Philadelphia supporters, the prospect of fan favourite Simmons lining up alongside big man Joel Embiid in the frontcourt seems mouth-watering to say the least.

That, combined with the services offered by the likes of Tobias Harris and Al Horford, seems to put the team in good stead for the NBA restart - which for the 76ers starts with their game against the Indiana Pacers on August 2.

And while Simmons' ability at point guard is unquestionable, it's his new-found potential in the makeshift forward position which has coach Brown chomping at the bit to see him in action.

"You take somebody and say, 'Here's the ball.' It's not like Ben came in and we had Chris Paul on the team or Damian Lillard in the team," he said.

Say hello to Philadelphia's new frontcourt

"We were young, and really not that good, so it was my decision, 'You take the ball. We're going to make you the point guard.' It's not like there was an established point guard that he had to bump out.

"[And] how has he responded to that? Like a star. Just a mature, 'Whatever it's going to take to get this team to be the best it can be with the pieces that we have that can be, I don't know, just designed into a smooth thing' ... that is one of the pieces he has to offer.

"He's been great accepting that, and really killing it in the environment that I just said."

Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown

So with Simmons slotting seamlessly into the power forward position, the obvious question remains as to who would fill the gaping void left at point guard.

Well, it appears the answer lies on the slender shoulders of a second-round draft pick.

Shake Milton, who has been starting at point guard during team practices in Orlando, has made an immediate impression on his fellow big-name teammates.

"He's been amazing," Embiid said.

"He's been the starting point guard, and I think he has a huge opportunity to help us accomplish what we believe we can.

"He's been doing an amazing job and he's running the team and we're going to need him to knock down shots, which he did, before the league got shut down. He was on a roll so we're going to need him to keep it going. But it's great."

Topics: Basketball, NBA, Coronavirus, Ben Simmons, Australia, Covid-19

Max Sherry

Max Sherry is a journalist for SPORTbible Australia. After migrating Down Under from London as a teenager, he instantly fell in love with Aussie sport and its culture. From NRL to AFL, cricket to rugby — you name it, Max watches it (with a beer in hand, of course). During his time at Fox Sports, he worked in the football department covering the Premier League, A-League, Socceroos and Matildas. Born a stone's throw away from West Ham's training ground, Max is obviously a die-hard Liverpool fan.

@maxysherry