In an era defined by its march toward position-less basketball, Ben Simmons, a 6-foot-10 combo-forward who passes like Chris Paul, rebounds like Kevin Love and defends like Paul George should be the poster boy for versatility. But this era is also characterized by the three-point revolution and, in that regard, Simmons is the antithesis, avoiding outside jumpers like the plague.
For most of the season, the Philadelphia 76ers were able to surround him with a herd of shooters and work around that flaw, beaming into the second round of the playoffs having won 20 of their past 21 games.