What should we expect from Ben Simmons in modernized Sixers offense?

Ben Simmons is set to enter his 4th season and expectations are higher than ever.

This will be the first year of the 5-year $177 million contract extension that he signed and, at age 24, is entering the prime of his career. As a two-time all-star coming off of a season where he earned all-defensive first-team honors, Ben Simmons is not the type of player a franchise should be eager to give up.

While so much has been said about the lack of shooting, and there seems to be an increasing frustration with the lack of progression of late, Ben Simmons is still undoubtedly a top 25 NBA player whom just about every team would love to have. Thanks to a terrific offseason, Daryl Morey flipped the future of the franchise back in the right direction.

Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons are now surrounded by floor spacers that should allow for their style of play to be maximized. Saying this is a make-or-break year for Ben Simmons is a major overstatement, however, given the new supporting cast, this would certainly be a year that it is important for him to take the next step in his career.

Points Per Game: 18.4

Throughout his career, Simmons has scored 15.8, 16.9, and 16.4 points per game in each respective season. While the infamous Embiid-Horford double post-up certainly made it difficult for Joel, this clogging in the lane may have hurt Ben even more. Despite the clogged lane that Ben was forced to work with last season, he still shot 77.4% of his shots from within 5 feet of the basket and 94.3% from 9 feet or less.

While the work he has put in with assistant coach Sam Cassell is impressive, and the 3-point attempt he took in the Pacers preseason game looked good enough, it still will be a longshot for Simmons to shoot jumpers on any sort of regular basis.

The quote by Doc Rivers saying, "I don't care as much about Ben's shooting as other people do... If he takes no shots I'm fine," should all but cement this belief. While some improvement needs to be shown, I can't see anything more than baby steps in the right direction.

This will continue to be frustrating and hold Simmons back from the potential MVP candidate that he could be, but any sign of growth in his willingness to shoot should be looked at as a major success.

Conversely, Simmons should be expected to have an increase in his overall scoring next year. The shooters that the Sixers have added will prevent defenses from sagging off into the paint as much and open the lane for Simmons' impressive driving ability. Doc Rivers has also preached to increase the pace of play and this plays directly into Ben's strengths so expect him to be a force on the fast-break on a regular basis this year.

Assists Per Game: 9.6

This is the area where the biggest uptick in numbers should occur. Throughout his career, Simmons has averaged 8.2, 7.7, and 8.0 assists per game. Last season, Ben led the league in assists on 3-pointers despite having sub-par shooters on the floor with him.

Seth Curry (career 44.3% from 3) and Danny Green (career 40% from 3) will make the biggest impact on this and Simmons driving and dishing ability will be put on full display this year. His usage in pick-and-roll should also increase Simmons' assist totals as he will be a triple-double threat on a nightly basis once again.

Despite his brief shift to power forward in the bubble, Simmons seems back in line to quarterback the offense. No matter what position he ends up playing on paper, Simmons will serve as the primary ball-handler for most offensive sets.

Doc Rivers has used phrases like "playmaker" and "facilitator" when describing Ben's role in the offense, and with Simmons being the best passer on the roster it should be accounted for this to be his main role.

Given that LeBron led the league in assists per game last season with 10.2, I felt it was too ambitious to push Simmons' expectations in the double digits. That being said there will be multiple flashy and effective assists seen on a nightly basis and Simmons will flourish in the fast-paced style of play that Doc Rivers wants to run.

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Photo by Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire

Rebounds per Game: 8.5

Throughout his career, Simmons has averaged 8.1, 8.8, and 7.8 rebounds per game. The oversized lineup last season forced a dip in Simmons' rebounding numbers that should be expected to increase this year. Ben will be looked at to be a major contributor on the boards with Embiid and Dwight Howard (depending on playing time) the only locks to secure more.

Pace has been emphasized on a regular basis by Doc Rivers for this season and the best way for this to occur is to get it into the hands of Ben Simmons. The most effective way to do this is for Simmons to grab the rebound himself. By dropping down deeper in the paint and helping out on the boards, Simmons can kickstart the offense immediately. This will likely be seen on a regular basis and he will be accounted on to do this due to the lineup being smaller than in years past.

Steals per Game: 1.8 Steals

While there is so much noise surrounding the lack of improvement on the offensive end, Simmons does not get enough credit for being a completely different player on the defensive end from when he came into the league. Despite it being his biggest criticism coming into the NBA, Simmons has developed into a legitimate Defensive Player of the Year candidate. Simmons will likely be tasked with matching up against the number one scoring option they are facing on a nightly basis.

Doc Rivers has harped on how high the defensive potential of this team is since he first agreed to come on board with the organization. The Sixers ranked 10th in the league in steals last season with 7.9 steals per game. Ben Simmons accounted for 26.6% of these steals and led the league with 2.1 steals per game. This was the highest number he has tallied as he averaged 1.7 and 1.4 steals in his previous two seasons. Getting into passing lanes and making use of his long frame has become an important part of Simmons' game and this will continue to be seen in this upcoming season.

If the defense is to truly be the identity of this Sixers team, Simmons must be ready to lead the charge. Joel Embiid will continue to serve as one of the best defensive anchors in the league and Simmons must make his impact felt as well. As a team, the Sixers totaled 7 steals in the first preseason game against the Celtics and just 4 in the Pacers matchup. Given the skewed playing time and extra rest given to the starters, there is no need to panic, but this must be a point of emphasis if the team wants to develop into the defensive terror that they are capable of becoming.

Overall Predictions for Ben Simmons

Ben Simmons will finish the season as an all-star and earn his spot on the all-NBA second team. He will be a legitimate contender for Defensive Player of the Year candidate once again, but due to his style of playmaking more of an impact in-game than on paper, I don't think he secures this award quite yet. At 24 years old, Ben should be coming into his prime and with the pieces around him, a career-year is well within the question. He is not James Harden and he should be appreciated for this. The team is now fully set-up to be built around Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons and now it is their turn to prove that they are the level of superstars capable of bringing home a title.

Photo by Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire