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How the Kings Can Build a Lineup Around Ben Simmons’ Strengths and Shooting Limitations

By Freedom251 Team · · 5 min read

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Sacramento should use Ben Simmons as a transition initiator, defensive playmaker and connective passer—not rely on him to score from the perimeter. The best chance of making that role work is to surround him with credible shooters, give him clear responsibilities alongside primary creator Darius Acuff Jr., and adjust his frontcourt pairings to the matchup. Those are lineup ideas to test, not confirmed rotations: Simmons missed the 2025–26 season, and his role and effectiveness in 2026–27 remain uncertain.

What Simmons can offer—and what the Kings must account for

Simmons’s value is rooted in playmaking, rebounding and defense rather than conventional perimeter shooting. NBA.com’s September 2026 Kings season preview says he sat out 2025–26; his most recent cited season, 2024–25, was 5.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game. That is the relevant recent baseline, not his earlier peak production.

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For context, NBA.com’s career biography lists averages of 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 profile also identifies him as a three-time All-Star, 2018 Rookie of the Year and two-time All-Defensive First Team selection. Those numbers and honors establish his past strengths; they do not establish his post-absence form.

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The cited NBA.com material does not provide a complete current shot profile by distance, so it cannot support a specific three-point percentage or shot-chart claim. The practical constraint is still clear: the Kings should not build a unit that depends on Simmons to pull a defender away from the paint as a perimeter shooter.

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Give him a role that creates advantages without a jumper

Push in transition

Let Simmons advance the ball after rebounds or turnovers and make the early decision: attack the open floor, draw help, or find a teammate running to a shooting spot. Transition gives a passer and ball-handler more ways to affect a possession before the defense can load up in the half court.

Use him as a secondary creator

With Acuff Jr. expected to take control of the offense, Simmons need not be the first handler on every possession. He can receive the ball after Acuff has shifted the defense, then drive a closeout, find a cutter or move the ball to the next shooter. If both handle extensively, their responsibilities should be distinct rather than leaving two players waiting for the same initiation opportunity.

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Make the next pass from the elbow or short roll

When Simmons screens for a ball-handler, a short roll can put him in position to read the defense and pass to a cutter or open shooter. He can also serve as an elbow hub, helping Sacramento move the ball without asking him to finish the possession with a jump shot. These are tactical uses inferred from his passing profile, not a coaching plan announced by the Kings.

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Use his defensive pedigree as a reason to test matchups

Simmons’s prior All-Defensive recognition supports trying him on varied assignments, while keeping enough perimeter defense and scoring around him. Past awards do not guarantee his present defensive impact, particularly after missing a season; the staff would need to judge his condition and performance in games.

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Build lineups around spacing and clear responsibilities

NBA.com’s preview names Acuff Jr., Zach LaVine, Keegan Murray, Malik Monk and Domantas Sabonis among the core players whose rotations are being worked out. It does not publish a Simmons lineup plan. The following options are therefore hypotheses to test, not confirmed combinations.

Lineup question What to try What to watch
How much shooting surrounds Simmons? Favor groups with credible perimeter threats at the other spots, so defenders have a reason to leave the paint less often. Whether opponents sag off Simmons, whether driving lanes remain open, and whether his touches produce paint pressure or an advantage pass.
Who initiates when Acuff plays? Define Simmons as a cutter, screener or secondary handler when Acuff directs the possession; use Simmons to initiate more when the lead guard rests. Whether each player has a clear job and whether the offense avoids stagnant possessions with both occupying the same creation space.
Does Simmons share the floor with Sabonis? Stagger their minutes when a matchup calls for more space; test paired minutes selectively against opponents whose rim protection and defensive scheme allow it. Whether two players operating around the interior compress driving lanes, and whether the other three provide enough shooting threat to offset that overlap.
Which defensive assignment fits? Test Simmons against different opponents while preserving perimeter shooting and half-court scoring in the unit. Whether his assignment and the lineup’s overall defense hold up in actual matchups, rather than assuming past accolades settle the question.

A practical starting point is a shooting-heavy group with Simmons when Acuff or another lead guard sits, plus some shared minutes in which Simmons can screen or cut for the lead creator and make the next pass. Whether he should play beside Sabonis more often depends on opponent personnel and how effectively the other players stretch the floor.

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Why the Kings’ recent context makes the fit worth watching

Sacramento went 22–60 in 2025–26, according to the NBA.com season preview. Basketball-Reference lists the Kings’ 2025–26 offensive rating at 111.4, 26th in the league, and defensive rating at 121.5, 28th. Those are historical results, not a prediction for 2026–27. They underline why Simmons’s passing and defensive contributions could be useful, but they do not prove that adding him will fix either side of the floor.

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NBA.com’s preview frames the larger uncertainty directly: “The intrigue here centers more on his fit in the league – if he can return to his early success – than his fit in Sacramento.” The unresolved issue is not only where to place him on a lineup chart; it is what version of Simmons will be available after missing 2025–26.

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What the Kings should evaluate once games begin

  • Defensive attention: Do opponents routinely leave Simmons to crowd the lane, and does the lineup still generate good driving and passing angles?
  • Advantage creation: Does he turn transition chances, short rolls or secondary touches into paint pressure, open shots or useful passes?
  • Role clarity: When Acuff is on the floor, does Simmons have an effective job away from the ball or as a secondary creator?
  • Frontcourt fit: Do Simmons–Sabonis minutes retain enough space and half-court scoring against the opponent in front of them?
  • Availability and form: What workload and role can Simmons sustain after sitting out 2025–26?

These observations can guide rotation decisions without treating a small run of games as proof that one lineup works in every matchup.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

BasketballBen Simmonslineup strategyNBASacramento Kings

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