The Sixers on Thursday selected Ben Simmons out of LSU with the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft.
Now the question is: What is Simmons?
We know the basics. He's 6-foot-10, 242 pounds and an excellent rebounder. He also has the ball skills and court vision of a guard. So where does head coach Brett Brown plan on using his newest weapon? He said who Simmons defends will determine his position more than anything.
"I feel like he is going to be able to guard [the four]," Brown said. "He is going to be able to switch out on pick-and-rolls if we choose to do that. It's his history and his instinct to play that spot. Call it a point forward, we all have different names that we would use as an example."
The last time the Sixers had the first overall pick in 1996, they drafted Allen Iverson. Iverson started his career as a point guard out of Georgetown before moving to the off guard. Simmons will start his career as a point forward, but who knows what he'll develop into.
With Simmons' draft status will come some lofty expectations. Add that to what the Sixers' fan base has endured: a combined 47-199 record in the last three seasons preceded by 12 seasons of mediocrity or worse. That's a lot of pressure for a 19-year-old kid.
Brown recognizes that and doesn't want to put too much on Simmons' plate. At least not right away.
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"We've known about this pick for a while," Brown said. "There were times that if you caught me I would think that I just want to treat him as a true point guard. Just give him the ball.
"You can go back and forth but I think it's the hardest position to play in the NBA. I think to just give him the ball in that capacity is borderline cruel. He needs to feel NBA basketball. And maybe he evolves there."
Versatility is huge in today's NBA. Luckily for Simmons, his dad Dave, a professional player for Brown in Australia, developed him like a guard despite his size. He's on board with Brown's vision.
"I think I'll be a point forward," Simmons said. "Anywhere where I'm grabbing the ball, setting up plays or pushing the ball on the break. ... At a young age, my dad put the ball in my hands and told me to dribble, so at a young age I had that mentality of being a point guard while I was bigger than most kids."
Sixers president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo didn't want to get into labels when discussing Simmons.
He's discussed with Brown how best to utilize Simmons, but said ultimately it doesn't matter what position he plays. Just that he's in the lineup.
"We talk all the time, debating how to best characterize him as a player," Colangelo said of Simmons. "The best way to characterize him is just as a basketball player. He's a facilitator, he's a distributor, he's a scorer, he's a rebounder."
Players with Simmons' skill set are rare but not completely new to the NBA. We've watched the Golden State Warriors use Draymond Green as a point forward. Green was utilized at the five on occasion in head coach Steve Kerr's "death lineup."
A more favorable comparison may be to the Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The "Greek Freak" is listed at 6-11 with a 7-3 wingspan. He's crazy athletic and handles the ball much better than a typical player of his stature.
Brown said that Simmons will be used similarly to both players, but it's difficult to define roles so early in the process.
"If you look at Antetokounmpo," Brown said, "he came in this gangly, long player and the second part of (last season) after the All-Star break [Bucks head coach Jason Kidd] played him as a point guard. And I don't know [what Simmons' position will ultimately be]. I just know that he is that versatile and that it's a good problem to figure out. "
Simmons is ready to assume whatever role he's asked to play, including point guard duties.
"You can really put me at any position on the court and it could work," Simmons said. "I think taking my time (will allow me to develop into a point guard). It's going to take time, but I'm willing to put that work in so I think anything's really possible."
"You're talking about a 6-10, versatile, skilled player that's going to affect the game in so many ways," Colangelo said. "It's hard to measure."