Ben Simmons will be a superstar for 76ers only if he stops passing on shots

The atmosphere was amazing even if the basketball was sometimes nauseating. In fact, the first half of the 76ers' first game in the Las Vegas summer league Saturday night against the Los Angeles Lakers looked a lot like the basketball we've seen far too often over the last three seasons at the Wells Fargo Center.

Clank, clank, clank went the basketball.

The result, of course, did not matter. This was a bunch of incoming rookies and an assortment of other players in the early stages of their NBA careers. The goal is to simultaneously improve and prove you belong in a league filled with large, strong men.

The game between the Sixers and Lakers, however, had the feel of a marquee matchup for a couple of reasons. Lots of Lakers fans showed up at the Thomas & Mack Center to see their own rebuilding team. They were joined by a national television audience on ESPN2 eager to see No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons of the Sixers go against Brandon Ingram, the No. 2 overall pick by the Lakers.

Let's be honest: The 76ers have not received this much positive attention from the rest of the country since Allen Iverson roamed the court in South Philadelphia.

So was the show worth it and did the 76ers select the better of the two players that were alone at the top of last month's draft board?

Yes was the answer to the first question. The way the youngsters from the 76ers and Lakers played in the second half, and particularly in the final moments, made for a highly entertaining evening.

Time will tell on the second question, although it was easy to see why the Sixers preferred Simmons over Ingram. Simmons, nine days shy of his 20th birthday, already has a man's body. He will not be pushed around as a rookie. Ingram, on the other hand, might want to add a wafer-thin mint to the 5,000 daily calories he is already consuming in an attempt to bolster his rail-thin frame. He is only 18, so his body figures to mature. It's already easy to fall in love with his outside range.

Based on what we saw Saturday night in his third summer league game, there is more to like about Simmons. Be prepared to catch the basketball if you are his teammate because Simmons has the kind of court vision that is so rare for a man of his size or any size for that matter. He is constantly trying to dish the ball even when it does not look possible. Right now, that is his greatest strength and his biggest weakness.

Simmons finished with eight points, eight assists, and 10 rebounds while logging a team-high 30 minutes, 41 seconds of court time. He also had three steals and two blocked shots, proof he is a high-energy defensive player.

Some of his passes were magical reminders of a Hall of Famer named Magic. In addition to his game-high total of assists, however, he also had a game-high seven turnovers. Most of them were the result of Simmons trying to force passes.

Still, if you are his teammate you have to love his unselfishness. It will be fascinating to see how his game complements big men like Jahlil Okafor, Joel Embiid, and Nerlens Noel. It will be even more interesting to see how his game helps shooting guards Jerryd Bayless and Gerald Henderson, two of the free agents recently signed by the team.

Simmons' ability to penetrate should create lots of opportunities for 3-point shooters. Bayless, who'll be 28 next month, ranked fifth in the league in three-point shooting percentage last season with Milwaukee and should get more good looks than ever with Simmons around.

By far the most disappointing statistic in each of Simmons' first three summer league games was his number of shot attempts. He had nine against Boston, six against Utah, and eight against the Lakers. Sure it's a concern that he made only seven of 23 shots, and Sixers coach Brett Brown addressed the issue during the telecast.

"We have to grow the confidence where he is not afraid to miss, and his world will change tenfold when he can do that," Brown said. "It starts with trying - just shooting the ball - and he's not going to shoot a high percentage initially. I want him to rise up and shoot some threes, probably more catch shots than dribble ups. We want him to punish people if they back off because the league is going to back off and you can't just ignore it. We might as well start now."

An idea: Require Simmons to take at least 12 shots overall and at least three three-point attempts in these summer league games and the full-squad exhibitions later this year. Treat him like he's a pitcher in the minor leagues working on a particular pitch. Force him to shoot. Simmons, with his size, court vision and basketball IQ, has a chance to be a superstar, but he will only become one when he learns to put the basketball through the hoop.

bbrookover@phillynews.com

@brookob