Playmaking
When Simons and Wade Baldwin IV shared the floor during Summer League, Baldwin was the primary ball handler. Even when Simons and Gary Trent Jr. were the only two guards, Trent Jr. took it up the floor more frequently.
It is therefore deducible that Terry Stotts might play his newest rookie in a McCollum-esque role: occasional ball handling, a lot of off-ball movement involving screens, and shot creation. Despite not running point guard, Simons needs to develop his playmaking if he’s handling the ball at any capacity.
McCollum, who is often criticized for his lack of playmaking abilities, averaged 3.4 assists in 36.1 minutes per game last season. During Summer League, Simons averaged 0.5 assists in 20 minutes, roughly equivalent to 1.9 assists in McCollum’s 2017-2018 play time.
Improving his playmaking at least to the level McCollum’s is at will make his drives more difficult to defend. When entering the paint, an opposing big man might hesitate on committing to Simons if the threat of a nifty pass exists, leaving the rookie open for an easy bucket. If the defender does commit, Simons can supply his teammate with two uncontested points.
As it did with McCollum, experience will help develop Simons’ court vision. In the veteran’s first two seasons, he averaged 0.7 and 1.0 assists, respectively.