5 reasons Ben Simmons shouldn’t be the NBA Draft’s first pick

4. He has no position

It’s dangerous to knock a player for not having a firm NBA position coming into the league because rare talent trumps position. Still, it has to concern NBA personnel that Simmons lacks the quick-twitch athleticism to play the three and measures a little short in terms of height and length to be a quality power forward.

In college, it’s easy to hide a player who doesn’t fit into a specific position. LSU trotted Simmons out as a point forward and could hide him defensively either by allowing him to guard a weak offensive player or transitioning into a zone. His coaching at LSU was weak, but they did make every attempt to construct their entire system around Simmons.

He won’t get that kind of special treatment at the next level. NBA coaches are going to expect him to come in and fit their system and style of play. Part of that is having a skill set that firmly fits into a professional scheme.

Simmons has a lot of talent and the most optimistic of his supporters would argue that his talent level transcends being pigeonholed into a specific position. The more objective observers recognize that he could really struggle to carve out a positional niche in today’s NBA.

Next: 3. Brandon Ingram