2018 Orlando Magic Player Outlook: Jonathon Simmons

2 of 5

Jonathon Simmons, San Antonio Spurs, Golden State Warriors

SAN ANTONIO, TX – MARCH 11: Jonathon Simmons #17 of the San Antonio Spurs goes up for a lay up against the Golden State Warriors on March 11, 2017 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photos by Mark Sobhani/NBAE via Getty Images) /

What To Look For

Jonathon Simmons’ story to make it to the NBA is quite an incredible one. He paid for his try out with the Austin Spurs and impressed to make that roster. He then impressed enough there to make the San Antonio Spurs. That is no easy feat — going from the D-League to the NBA is impressive enough.

Simmons got there on his pure determination and grit. He cut his teeth on the defensive end. That is where he made his impact and caught Gregg Popovich, R.C. Buford and the Spurs’ eye. He is not in the NBA if he could not defend at an elite level.

By the basic defensive metrics, Simmons was stellar.

Last year he posted 2.1 defensive win shares and had a +0.9 defensive box plus-minus. Yes, the Spurs help with all of that. San Antonio posted the best defensive rating in the league last year. But in Simmons’ limited minutes, it all suggests he is a strong defender, both individually and within a team concept.

Even if Simmons’ defensive numbers slip coming to an unfamiliar system with potentially worse defenders around him in Orlando, Simmons should still be at least solid defensively. That is something that feels innate and translatable across franchises and teams.

This is the big part the Magic signed him for. They wanted a player with some positional versatility — despite his 6-foot-6 size, he certainly has the physicality to guard small forwards in addition to shooting guards. And they wanted someone committed to defense.

The question facing Simmons is whether he can truly expand his role. Whether what he did in the small sample size of his Playoff performance can be stretched out to an 82-game season. That is the big question. There are some reasons to suggest he can. But nobody ever knows until he gets out there and plays. And the Spurs are a warm security blanket for a lot of players.

At the very least, Simmons will be a strong defender the Magic can employ off the bench. They can bring him in to support other defensive-minded players and use him to shore up a perimeter defense that struggled mightily last season.

In that sense, Simmons fills a clear need even if he never takes the big leap.