The New York Knicks are one of the favorites in the Ben Simmons sweepstakes. The former All-Star is currently a free agent and could sign for the veteran’s minimum, a price the Knicks can afford to pay.
Knicks insider doesn’t believe Ben Simmons is a good fit
However, not everyone is in love with the idea of adding Simmons to the roster. The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III is one of those people against bringing in Simmons.
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“If you’re asking me what I think of the fit, I wouldn’t be a fan of the signing. Yes, he’d add some much-needed size to the backcourt. Yes, a defensive lineup of Simmons, Bridges, and Anunoby would be intriguing for small portions of a game. However, I’m not a fan of having to have a tailor-made offense for a backup point guard,” Edwards wrote.
Simmons is far from his All-Star days during his time with the Philadelphia 76ers, but there is a world where he provides an impact. At 6-10 and 240 pounds, he would give the Knicks’ bench size and versatility, which would be highly beneficial to the second unit.
The Knicks need a player who can score
However, to support Edwards’ notion, his inability to stretch the floor might not make him a good fit. With the Knicks now having Mike Brown as their head coach, they would ideally like to have guys who can shoot and score from all areas of the court, and scoring is not a big part of Simmons’ game.
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While he could be useful in situations that require more defense, it would be difficult to play him for long stretches since he is not a high-volume scorer. The Knicks have added two guys who can score as bench pieces this offseason in Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele.
Despite the appealing idea of adding a former All-Star to the roster, the fit just may not be there for New York to bring him in and give him an alley to playing time.