Simmons says he can play all five positions for 76ers

PHILADELPHIA – No matter what position he ends up playing, Ben Simmons is going to be the centerpiece of the Philadelphia 76ers’ offense.

“He’s a facilitator, a distributor and he’s going to have the ball in his hands a lot,” said Bryan Colangelo, the team’s president of basketball operations. “He’s going to make everyone on the floor better. He’s going to make our entire team better.”

It’s the expectations of being the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft, something that only happens about once a generation in Philadelphia.

The 20-year-old Australian was the first of three first-round picks taken by the Sixers Thursday night. Despite a collection of players drafted in the lottery in recent years, Philadelphia is turning to Simmons to be the focal point.

Philadelphia coach Brett Brown has a challenge in finding where Simmons, a 6-foot-10 former LSU forward will play in the NBA.

The Sixers are flush with big men, and Simmons is just another big body. However, they lack depth in the backcourt, meaning Simmons could be asked to play guard despite his size.

Simmons doesn’t necessarily need a position, he said confidently at his introductory press conference.

“I can play anywhere on the floor and contribute,” he said. “You can put me anywhere one-through-five on either offense or defense.”

And it’s very likely he’ll be an amoeba of sorts for Brown and play all five positions at one point or another.