The Kings’ best use of Ben Simmons is as a connector, transition initiator and defensive playmaker—not as a primary scorer or a floor-spacing forward. Sacramento should surround him with credible perimeter shooting, give him clear duties alongside rookie lead guard Darius Acuff Jr., and test his minutes next to Domantas Sabonis according to matchup. Those are tactical options, not confirmed rotations: Simmons missed the 2025–26 season, and the 2026–27 season has not started.
What Simmons can offer—and what is uncertain
NBA.com’s 2026–27 Kings season preview, published September 22, 2026, says Simmons sat out the 2025–26 season. His most recent cited season line is 5.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game in 2024–25. That makes his availability and current level open questions, rather than grounds to assume he will return to an earlier peak.
For context, NBA.com’s career biography reports 14.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game across six seasons through 2023–24, with 56.0% field-goal shooting and 58.9% free-throw shooting. His player profile lists him as a three-time All-Star, 2018 Rookie of the Year and two-time All-Defensive First Team selection. Those figures and honors establish his past playmaking and defensive pedigree; they do not establish his present form.
The cited figures do not provide a current three-point or shot-distance profile. The practical roster-building issue is therefore broader than any one shooting percentage: Simmons is not a conventional perimeter-shooting option, while his recent scoring was limited. The Kings should plan for opponents to be less concerned about his jumper without claiming a particular shot-chart result.
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Give Simmons a distinct job in the offense
Push the ball before the defense is set
Let Simmons grab a rebound or receive an outlet and advance the ball in transition. His career assist and rebound profile supports testing him as a passer who can start the break; the aim is to create an early advantage before defenders can pack the paint around him.
Use him as a secondary creator in the half court
When a teammate draws help or bends the defense, Simmons can attack the resulting gap, make the next pass, or work from the elbow or short roll as a decision-maker. This puts more value on his passing than on asking him to manufacture a shot against a set defense.
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Define his relationship with Acuff
NBA.com’s preview expects rookie Darius Acuff Jr. to assume control of the offense and identifies Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray, Malik Monk and Sabonis among the core players around whom rotations are being worked out. When Acuff is directing a possession, Simmons needs an off-ball task—such as cutting, screening and then making the next pass—rather than competing for the same initiation role. When Acuff rests, Simmons could be tested as a transition initiator or secondary handler with a shooting-heavy group.
Build lineups that compensate for the lost spacing
For each unit, ask how many defenders can leave their assignments to help in the paint. More credible shooters around Simmons can make driving and passing lanes harder to clog. This is a lineup-design principle, not a measured result for a Simmons-Kings combination.
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- Prioritize perimeter threats. Favor groups in which the other players can make defenses account for them away from the basket. If opponents routinely sag off Simmons, the remaining shooters need to preserve room for cuts and drives.
- Give him a secondary role next to the lead creator. Pairing Simmons with Acuff may be useful if Simmons screens, cuts or moves the ball after Acuff draws attention. Avoid a unit where both wait to initiate from the same spot.
- Test the Sabonis overlap rather than assume it works. Two players operating near the interior can compress the lane if the other three do not create enough perimeter threat. Staggering Simmons and Sabonis is one option; playing them together may make sense in some matchups if the surrounding shooting and roles hold up.
- Use Simmons’s defensive versatility as a reason to experiment, not a guarantee. His past honors support trying him against varied assignments. The unit still needs enough perimeter shooting and half-court scoring, and past recognition does not prove current defensive impact.
Test combinations with clear questions
Because there are no established 2026–27 Simmons lineups or results yet, Sacramento should treat these as experiments rather than a depth-chart prescription.
- Try a shooting-heavy group while Acuff or another lead guard rests. This tests whether Simmons can initiate transition and organize half-court actions without the paint becoming too crowded.
- Try Simmons beside the lead creator with a defined off-ball role. Have him screen or cut, then make the next decision. The question is whether he can help an advantage continue without taking over the same initiation space.
- Stagger his minutes with Sabonis, then test selected minutes together. Compare how each arrangement affects driving lanes and the opponent’s ability to protect the rim. The right balance may depend on the matchup.
- Track the defense’s response and the offense’s next action. Note whether defenders leave Simmons, whether he creates a paint touch or an advantage pass, and whether the rest of the unit can still operate with space. These observations can guide rotation choices; they are not predetermined outcomes.
Keep the team context in perspective
Sacramento finished 2025–26 at 22–60, according to the NBA.com season preview. Basketball-Reference’s 2025–26 Kings statistics list an offensive rating of 111.4 (26th) and a defensive rating of 121.5 (28th). Those are historical figures, not forecasts for the coming season. They underline why Simmons’s fit cannot be judged in isolation: lineups need enough scoring and spacing to function on offense as well as a clear defensive plan.
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The sound approach is to make Simmons’s passing, transition play and defense the potential value-add, then build each unit so opponents cannot freely ignore multiple players around him. His role and minutes should depend on his return, how the spacing works in actual games, and which combinations prove functional—not on his career résumé alone.
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