By John Wetzel, Sports Talk Philly staff 
We have still yet to see highly touted prospect Ben Simmons hit the court for the Philadelphia 76ers in a regular season game. It will be a win just to see him in action in the highly anticipated opening contest. The Sixers have been plagued with so many injuries to core players in the past few years, that remaining healthy has become the number one goal.
Because of his Jones fracture to the fifth metatarsal of his foot, Simmons missed all of last season and left Sixers fans with a lot of unknowns, primarily regarding his position on the court. The plan is for him to play point guard, which he's never played before and might not be an ideal fit for him because his outside shot wasn't pretty coming out of college. Teammate Richaun Holmes was able to shed some light on the subject as he's seen Simmons at the practice facility ever since he was drafted. In an interview with Hoops Hype's Alex Kennedy, Holmes raved about the former top pick.
"Man, I’ve never seen anything like it, to be honest. To be 7-feet tall and be able to move the way he does and have that skill set, I’ve never seen anyone like him. And I think the thing that stands out most to me is just how hard he plays. Whether it’s a practice or a workout or a drill, he plays hard every second that he’s on the court. When you see his work ethic mixed with that talent, the sky is the limit. He could be that next generational superstar. He’s definitely special."
High praise from the Sixers' center. It's definitely encouraging to see the amount of faith Holmes has in his teammate. Simmons does have one of the most unique skill sets of any player in the NBA. Coupling that with the work ethic that Holmes just described should yield phenomenal results.
The LeBron comparisons came fast and furious during draft season last year. While LeBron was a much higher rated prospect, it is fair to say we haven't seen a player with Simmons' combination of size, athleticism, body control, and ball skills since LeBron. So when Holmes says the sky is the limit, it's easy to believe.
It might be a stretch to think his shooting will ever become a strength, but the rest of his strengths are assets and his other weaknesses are rather small. If he's able to make improvements to his shot and keep polishing his special passing, rebounding, and ball handling abilities, that's when we'll start to see a superstar. Practice won't be the only thing helping him moving forward either.
As the talent around Simmons grows, he should be able to elevate his game further and further as he develops as a player. The Sixers have done a great job of putting players around him that compliment him well. Simmons thrives on pushing the ball up the floor, driving into the paint, and setting up teammates with open looks. He'll have Joel Embiid to set picks for him and Markelle Fultz, Robert Covington, Dario Saric, and JoJo should be able to space the floor to open up paths for Simmons to carve up the defense.
So how likely is he to reach his ceiling?
Again, a lot depends on health, but Simmons' potential is immeasurable and he and the Sixers have him on the right track.
