Colangelo: Simmons 'has it in him' to become Hall of Famer

After watching him excel in both Summer League action and offseason workouts, no one is more excited to see how No. 1 selection Ben Simmons fares this season than Philadelphia 76ers president Bryan Colangelo.

"What we saw in Ben, was about the immense talent level that he has, and the possibility for greatness that he has," Colangelo said on The Vertical Podcast with Woj.

"All those things that got us excited about him about a possible No. 1 selection, it's all coming to fruition, and hopefully over the next five to 10 years, we'll all be part of that same growth of him becoming a great basketball player, and becoming a Hall of Fame type of player. Does he have it in him? I think he does. Does he have some work to do? Absolutely."

Given his tremendous talent and versatility, Colangelo expects Simmons will be used in a number of ways during the upcoming campaign. While Simmons is much taller than the average point guard, Philadelphia's president believes the LSU product could shine at the position considering his superb vision and passing ability.

"I think that Ben Simmons can play the point guard or he can play the 4. He can guard various positions on the floor," Colangelo said.

"He's arguably one of our best players. Instinctively, he sees the floor very well. I haven't seen someone with his vision and creativity in some time. It's exciting to wonder and anticipate what that might result in."

Simmons enters the 2016-17 season as the odds-on favorite to win Rookie of the Year, and should have plenty of opportunity to prove his worth on an inexperienced Sixers roster.