Arizona Basketball alum Kobi Simmons getting noticed in the NBA

It’s Kobi-Time for the Memphis Grizzlies as Kobi Simmons is gaining respect and playing time in the NBA.

Point Guard U! That’s what Arizona is known for, their point guards like Steve Kerr, Jason Terry, Mike Bibby, and Damon Stoudamire.

In recent years, Arizona Basketball it has been recognized for their big men like Derrick Williams, Aaron Gordon, Rondae Hollis Jefferson, Stanley Johnson and now Lauri Markkanen.

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But there was one key Arizona point guard that deserves accolades, TJ McConnell. McConnell, a fan favorite in Tucson and Philadelphia, ended his college career with a 3-to-1 turnover ratio and an average of six assists. McConnell is also a skilled defender and has proved he can hold his own with Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.

In his rookie NBA season with the 76ers, McConnell lead all rookies with 95 total steals in 653 fewer minutes than D’Angelo Russell (then with the Lakers) who came in second with 93. McConnell (367) came in second in the assists by only five in the rookie ranking behind Emmanuel Mudiay (372) who played 462 more minutes than McConnell. Russell ran way behind TJ coming in third with 101 fewer total assists at 266.

But what got me talking about McConnell? NBA point guard and Arizona alum Kobi Simmons! This picture is worth a thousand words about Simmons potential as a professional.

Simmons NBA career is really heating up. With the Grizzlies struggling to find point guards to lead the team, Simmons has gotten the opportunity to show that he has what it takes no matter what some Wildcats fans thought, Simmons is proving he has the focus, athleticism, and skills to compete with the best in the NBA.

Simmons is getting more minutes in the NBA for the Memphis Grizzlies of late, and there are a few key reasons. One reason is that he has shown that he can produce while playing on the Grizzlies affiliate Memphis Hustle (G-League) with fellow former Wildcat Chance Comanche.

Simmons has started in all 12 games he’s played in averaging 32.4 minutes, scoring 16.6 points (46%), 3.1 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 3.9 assists. Add to that impressive stat line, .4 blocks. Usually, you don’t see blocks in a point guard stats, but Wildcats fans know how high Kobi can jump!

A second reason stems from injuries and lack of production from point guards on the Grizzlies. According to Brandon Abraham (GrizzlyBearBlues.com), “Mike Conley wasn’t playing great, and he’s been on the mend since mid-November trying to heal up an injured Achilles. Neither Mario Chalmers nor Andrew Harrison have stepped up their play in Mike’s absence.”

Enter Simmons. On Dec. 19, Simmons got his chance to play against the Boston Celtics. Abraham said that Simmons stat line didn’t tell the entire story, it was his +/- that was most impressive, “He [Simmons] was a +4 while Mario Chalmers was a -16.”

While playing for the whole second quarter against the Celtics, the Grizzlies erased a 21-point deficit.

On Dec. 21, Simmons made the highlight reel against the Suns when he came in to replace Chalmers in the second half. The Grizzlies’ ended up losing 97-95, but Simmons got another chance to show his skills.

Then on Dec. 23, the Grizzlies took on the Los Angeles Clippers at home. Sportswriter Ronald Tillery of the USA Today Network, had some nice words to say about Kobi, “Rookie guard Kobi Simmons could soon provide more rays of sunshine that the Grizzlies didn’t expect during this campaign — Simmons has provided a bit of optimism for the future in the backcourt with his instincts, speed, and game-changing plays.”

The McDonald’s All-American believed he was ready for the NBA and entered the 2017 NBA draft. And although he went undrafted, he landed a two-way contract with Memphis right after the draft.

The Grizzlies interim head coach J.B. Bickerstaff is also seeing promise in Simmons:

"“He brings a spark,” Griz interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “He’s got a natural talent that we’ve got to do a great job of developing. He can help us. We’ve got to make sure we’re keeping him around, teaching him and letting his natural tools take over.”"

NBA All-Star and Simmons teammate Marc Gasol put in his two cents:

"“I really like his energy, his effort and his athleticism,” Gasol said. “Honestly, we need more of that.”"

His decision to enter the draft and go pro seems sound from what we see on the court. That and it made room on the Arizona Basketball team for five new freshmen.

https://twitter.com/GrizzliesOnFSSE/status/944743203894321153

Simmons has impressed the media so much with his play that he got the post-game interview:

Here are Simmons highlights from the Clippers game:

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The Grizzlies take on the Phoenix Suns once more on Dec. 26, then the Lakers on Dec. 27 where Simmons will compete against former Pac-12 opponents UCLA Bruin Lonzo Ball and Utah Ute Kyle Kuzma. On a personal note, my brother-in-law just gave me two sweet fourth-row tickets to the Clippers vs. Grizzlies rematch in Los Angeles on Jan. 2. I will be wearing my Arizona gear and making sure Kobi knows I am there. In Simmons own words, “God Does Everything For A Reason. Just Believe In Him. Your Time Is Coming!” Well, Kobi-Time is here folks! Bear Down Kobi!