Kings may have decided Ben Simmons doesn’t really need a position

What position does Ben Simmons play for the Kings?

Well, all of them, it seems.

Sacramento has spent the opening days of training camp experimenting with Simmons in different roles, with the 6-foot-10 former All-Star handling the ball on offense and defending bigger players at the other end, as Brenden Nunes of Sactown Sports writes.

“He’s playing everything,” Malik Monk said.

That’s probably the most interesting way to use Simmons at this stage of his career.

Monk said Simmons’ ability to initiate the offense has allowed him to play more off the ball, creating better looks and more space. Coach Doug Christie also sees Simmons’ size and playmaking ability as something Sacramento can use even when he isn’t functioning as a traditional point guard.

Defensively, Christie was considerably more direct when asked about Simmons’ versatility. “He can guard everybody,” Christie said.

We’ll see about that part. Simmons is 30, didn’t play at all last season and hasn’t been the All-Defensive force he once was in quite some time. Christie acknowledged that the Kings may have to determine how quickly Simmons can handle those responsibilities.

Still, Sacramento signed Simmons to a one-year deal largely because of the unusual things he can do at his size.

The Kings don’t necessarily need him to become the old Ben Simmons again. They just need to figure out which parts of the old Ben Simmons are still there.