kobisimmons.gif

2 - Kobi Simmons

6-4, 170 Point Guard/Shooting Guard
Arizona Freshman
Birthday
07/04/97 (26.7 yrs)
Hometown
Atlanta, GA
High School
St. Francis
Team Site Profile
Statistics
Athleticism
9
Size
9
Defense
7
Strength
6
Quickness
9
Leadership
6
Jump Shot
8
NBA Ready
6
Ball Handling
8
Potential
8
Passing
7
Intangibles
6

NBA Comparison: Patrick McCaw/Nick Young

Strengths: Simmons is a speedy combo guard that can really score the basketball … This past season at Arizona, he did not often have the opportunity to display his full offensive repertoire in a crowded backcourt … However, Simmons came out of a loaded freshman class, and is one of the best perimeter scorers in the crop … He has a variety of moves once he gets into the paint, where he can finish acrobatically with wither hand … Where he really stands out is that he can really knock down shots off the dribble … He has an excellent pull-up jumper in his arsenal, which is essential in the NBA for a point guard … He does a good job of using screens and moving well without the ball to get himself open looks, but he also excels at creating offense for himself … Simmons additionally has a very quick first step, which means defenders have to give up space to him in order to slow him down off the dribble … This is what makes him difficult to guard, as the defense has to respect his driving ability, but he also complements it well with his perimeter scoring off the dribble … Simmons is not a true point guard, but he has the size to play either backcourt position, whether that be the point man or a scoring 2 guard, at 6-5 with solid length … He is rhythm shooter who has the ability to catch fire at times from the outside. He also does a good job of absorbing contact at the rim and getting to the free throw line, where he does a nice job of converting (77.5% this season) … One of the most appealing aspects of Simmons’ game is that he is a gifted athlete … In his senior year of high school, his vertical leap was measured to be at 42”, and that could increase further as his frame fills out in the next couple of years … His combination of size and elite quickness and athleticism give him intriguing upside as a defensive player … Simmons is already a good on-ball defender, but he has the potential to be a lockdown defensive stopper at the next level if he applies himself and gets stronger, with his ability to guard multiple positions … He also has great instincts as an off-the-ball defender, leading Arizona with nine charges taken this season … There is a lot of upside for Simmons, and he could potentially become an excellent NBA player.

Weaknesses: As good as Simmons is with the ball in his hands at creating offense, he isn’t enough of a facilitator … He does not look to pass very often when he gets into the lane, as he is constantly looking for his own shots when he’s on the floor … He is much more of an isolation player at this stage, and he struggles to operate out of the pick-and-roll as a playmaker, which is a vital tool for success in the NBA as a lead guard … Simmons played 23.5 minutes per game at Arizona this past season, but he only averaged two assists per contest, a sign that his playmaking instincts need to improve …  He did not turn the ball over that frequently, coughing it up 1.2 times per game, but he has a tendency to over dribble and play out of control, which leads to bad turnovers … Maturity and attitude are points that scouts note that he must improve upon … His attitude came under fire after Trier returned to the team at midseason and he was visibly unhappy with coming off the bench. His play suffered as he stopped moving the ball as willingly, and Coach Miller was forced to cut his minutes futher … If he wants to make it as a point guard in the association, it is imperative that he improves his decision-making and starts getting his teammates more involved … Inefficiency is also a concern for Simmons right now … He shot just 39.5% from the field in his freshman season, which is largely the result of subpar shot selection … As good as he is off the dribble, he needs to improve his consistency as a spot-up shooter, as he made only 32% of his threes this season … In the NBA, it is so difficult to be a consistent scorer without a reliable jump shot, so this needs to be a priority … Maybe the biggest concern for now is adding strength to his slender frame. He weighs less than 200 pounds, which will be a problem at the next level when matched up with bigger guards in the NBA … However, he is still just 19 years old, so he should develop physically with time … A kid with a very high "situational dependency" at the next level for him to reach his potential … Could have used an additional season in college to improve his skill level, however he apparently was always of the mindset that he was a one and done player …

Notes: Has declared for the 2017 draft and signed with an agent … Five-star prospect in 2016 ESPN 100 rankings… Rated as the top prospect out of the state of Georgia in the 2016 class… 2016 Atlanta Journal-Constitution Player of the Year honors…Guided St. Francis to 100 wins and a pair of state championship titles and four state championship appearances during his career… One of three Cats to play in all 37 games in 2016-17 season, starting in 19 of them.

William Peter Desautelle III 4/6/17

Related News

Facebooktwitterredditmail