I found it ironic while watching Buddy Hield and the Sacramento Kings knock off Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night how one of these 2016 lottery draft picks won his team the game with his fantastic shooting, while the other just has no interest in attempting to shoot from beyond 10 feet or so. Hield buried seven 3-pointers on the way to 34 points, while Simmons shot well -- and did other things -- but everything came in close. These are valuable although very different fantasy options, of course, going about their important business in different ways.
I think we knew Simmons was special at the time, and as he piles on the triple-doubles and prepares for his first All-Star game, one can only imagine what he would be like with a developed outside shot. Perhaps it never comes for the first overall selection. For Hield, selected sixth overall by New Orleans, I invested early because it was clear at Oklahoma how terrific an outside shooter he was, but there is nobody like Simmons. There are players like Hield, and while he struggled his first two seasons, he is among the top 3-point threats in the game now, averaging more than 20 points per contest. I suppose there is ceiling for 25 points per night as he evolves.
