The Fresh Prince

I looked up the number of players who have worn the number 25 in the NBA. It seemed to be a fairly obscure number; the lone people I could think to sport the number were Ben Simmons and Derrick Rose. Turns out 213 players (including 16 active players) have worn the number 25, including legends Gail Goodrich, Mark Price and Robert Horry—there was also a Seattle Supersonics player named Michael Phelps who wore 25... I don't know what to make of that.

Now, Simmons may not win seven rings like Horry, and he damn well won't be as good a shooter as Price or Goodrich, but he's already more relevant than Phelps, which is a good sign. And with the incredible potential he has, he could be an MVP like Rose—and actually make the Hall of Fame too.

We all know Simmons' story: Australian-American phenom, dominated at LSU, #1-pick in 2016, missed his rookie year with a broken foot, etc... Real talk, the 76ers must have some Dragon Ball hyperbolic chamber that juices all their rookies while they nurse rookie season-ending injuries. So it's safe to say NBA fans everywhere were excited to see Simmons hit the court. The near 7-foot point guard lit it up, getting to the bucket with ease, grabbing boards, and dropping dimes like no man's business. He lived up to the Magic Johnson and LeBron James comparisons, racking up a dozen triple-doubles in his rookie year. Though a first year player, Simmons simply seemed to be a man amongst boys (a year in the hyperbolic chamber doesn't hurt), simply being faster, stronger, and smarter than his opponents.

The Future of Philly

It seemed like all those years of tanking in Philly had finally paid off. The team was exciting again, and more importantly, they were winning. They finished with a 52-30 record, giving them the third seed in the Eastern Conference. They ended the season with a 16-game win streak, with many wins coming with Joel Embiid sidelined with an injury. Heading into the playoffs, they Philly hype was real, as many claimed they would make the Eastern Conference Finals. And to think, Ben Simmons was doing all of this without a jump shot. Well... about that...

The Sixers got by Miami Heat in five games, and Simmons was an absolute beast, posting 18.2 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 9.0 APG, and 2.4 SPG, including a triple-double in the Sixers' Game 4 win. Against the Celtics though, Simmons was completely exposed. His averages fell to 14.4 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 6.4 APG, and 1.0 SPG but more concerning, he was essentially a non-factor offensively. Every team knew that Simmons couldn't shoot, so they gapped him, daring him to let it fly. However, Simmons could still muscle his way to the rim and make the defense pay for giving him space. The Celtics put Al Horford, who had the strength and (surprisingly) the mobility to stay in front of Simmons and prevent him from getting to the rim. Simmons' impact and efficiency plummeted and Celtics beat the Sixers in five games.

Simmons Shut Down

While Simmons had a disappointing second round, he still had an outstanding rookie year, taking home Rookie of the Year honours (though Donovan Mitchell made it closer than anyone anticipated). And despite a lackluster off-season, the Sixers still have a Defensive Player of the Year runner-up Embiid (in just his second season, mind you), it seems like Philly has nowhere to go but up.

When it comes to expectations for Simmons in his sophomore season, I'm not going to be like most who will scream, "LEARN TO SHOOT THREEs!" I will call for him to at least attempt midrange jumpers this season so the defense has to respect him. More importantly, he needs to improve upon his putrid 56.0 percent from the free-throw line, as many teams turned to Hack-a-Simmons in crunch time. Despite his short comings, I expect Simmons to continue to post excellent all-round stats and help lead the Sixers to 50+ wins. I mean, look at him: he's a baby LeBron (funny cuz he's taller than James). There's a reason they call him the Fresh Prince after all.

Predicted Stats: 22.2 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 8.4 APG, 1.9 SPG, 1.0 BPG, 54.7% FG, 6.7% 3FG (one of his end-of-shot-clock heaves will go in eventually), 68.3% FT

If you made it this far, let me know what you think about the article or who you want me to write about next. I'm going to finish the 2017 Class series with Dennis Smith Jr. but I'm open to suggestions for the 2018 Class pieces I'm looking to write.

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Deuces.