Cedric Simmons

Cedric Simmons

Simmons was covered in the Sixers summer league roster round-up of last week. He averaged 6.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.6 turnovers per game.

Cedric Simmons

The first season of Simmons's professional career outside of the NBA was disjointed and largely underwhelming. He started it with Peristeri in Greece, but was released in preseason, and returned to America to play in the D-League. After 13 games with the Idaho Stampede - in which he averaged 14.8ppg, 7.1rpg and 2.9bpg - Simmons left to go play in China, where he averaged 19/9/2 for the Dongguan New Century Leopards. But if those numbers look impressive, then the competition in which they came need to be considered; the D-League and the CBA are both stat-friendly places, particularly for big men. Simmons bookended his season with a return to Greece, where he averaged 3.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks for Kavala/Panorama.

Simmons did not improve during his time in the NBA, and he needed to improve a lot to even come close to justifying his draft position. As it is, he remains an athlete 6'9 forward with good shot blocking instincts and absolutely no offensive game whatsoever. Philly could use a defensive big man, but this isn't it.

- Cedric Simmons

Simmons fell out of the NBA this past summer without so much as a training camp contract. He first went to Greece to play for Peristeri, but was released before the season started. Simmons then returned to America to join the Idaho Stampede of the D-League, and averaged 14.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.9 blocks in 13 games. He then was bought out of his contract to go to China, where he played 20 games for the Dongguan New Century Leopards and averaged 18.7 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 35 minutes per game. After completing the season with the playoffless Leopards, Simmons returned to Greece to try to help Kavala avoid relegation. In 2 games with the team he has totalled 26 minutes, 8 points and 7 rebounds. Kavala lost both.

- Cedric Simmons: 34.1mpg, 16.9ppg, 8.5rpg, 0.7apg, 3.2fpg, 0.9spg, 1.6bpg, 58% FG, 0% 3PT, 65% FT

Unusually, DongGuan (not to be confused with Guangdong) have spent half of this season playing with only one import. They started the season with Johnson and Tate, but Johnson played in only one game before leaving (subsequently joining the D-League), and Cedric Simmons didn't arrive until 16 games later. Tate left after 16 to be replaced by Kelley, and the Simmons and Kelley duo is what Dongguan have now.

Simmons started the year with Peristeri in Greece, but was released in preseason. He then came back to America and the D-League, but played in only 13 games for the Idaho Stampede (14.8ppg, 7.1rpg, 3.6fpg, 2.9bpg) before getting the call-up to China. Doesn't matter what league he plays in, though; he's not a good rebounder. One defensive rebounder every 7 minutes in China? That'll have to go up.