#10 Ben Simmons – Philadelphia 76ers
2020-21 Stats: 14.3 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 6.9 APG, 1.6 STL, 55.7 FG%, 30.0 3P%
Who knows if Ben Simmons is even going to be a member of the Philadelphia 76ers organization by the time the new season rolls around amid all the trade rumors with him and the Sixers organization, but this should not take away from what kind of player Simmons is.
The 3x All-Star and 2x All-Defensive Team player is only 25-years-old and still has the potential to grow into an elite two-way player, but his struggles on offense in Philadelphia are well-documented.
He was not the sole reason why the 76ers failed to make it past the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, but Ben Simmons definitely did not help the cause by only averaging 9.9 points and shooting 33.3% from the free-throw line in this series.
Given his multi-talented skill set of being a 7-footer who can facilitate for not only himself but others, plus the athleticism he has, Ben Simmons will most likely be an All-Star again and is still one of the best defensive players in the league.
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If Simmons can put things together and get out of the mental funk he was in to end the year in Philly, then he can easily ascend to being a Top-5 point guard in this league, but it may take a change of scenery for this to happen. Right now though, the 76ers do not seem to want to budge on their price for the All-Star, which is why he will likely be fined leading up to the season, as he plans to sit out of training camp.
#9 LaMelo Ball – Charlotte Hornets
2020-21 Stats: 15.7 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 6.1 APG, 1.6 STL, 43.6 FG%, 35.2 3P%
The last four Rookie of the Year award recipients in Ja Morant (2020), Luka Doncic (2019), Ben Simmons (2018) and Malcolm Brogdon (2017), have all gone on to improve their games and some have even become All-Stars, which is why LaMelo Ball is destined for the same kind of greatness in Charlotte.
Ball only played in 51 games during his rookie season due to a wrist fracture that kept him sidelined for a few weeks, but he still managed to win the Rookie of the Year award because of his impact on this Hornets team.
Given his size, athleticism and his sense of comfortability on the court at just 20-years-old, LaMelo Ball has a very bright future ahead of him, especially because of all the athletic, young talents surrounding him in Charlotte.
The Hornets have a much better team than many are led to believe, which is why Ball could realistically be an All-Star during the 2021-22 season. The sky’s the limit for this kid and as Hornets’ owner Michael Jordan likes to say, “The ceiling is the roof!”
