Everyone expects Ben Simmons to be one of the best rookies in the 2016 rookie class. He was the top overall pick this year and it is certainly not an unrealistic expectation to put on him. If I had to select an early favorite for first-team All-Rookie, or Rookie of the Year, it would be Ben Simmons. But can Ben Simmons be an NBA All-Star in his rookie year?

I know a rookie making it on the All-Star roster does seem like a bit of a long shot in today’s NBA, but it certainly could happen. Simmons has to live up to and exceed the expectations set for his rookie year. The talent level has increased around the league and more and more players come out of college after just one year. The number of rookies making the All-Star team has decreased tremendously. Ben Simmons could change the tides for the first time since Blake Griffin made the Western Conference All-Star team as a reserve in 2011. Simmons and Griffin do play the same position, but they play different styles while on the court. Griffin has molded his game over the last several years, but when he started in the NBA, he was a big power forward who dominated the paint and caught a lot of lobs for dunks.

Looking at Simmons’ competition in the Eastern Conference, there is almost no way he’s going to make the starting five of the All-Star game. Looking at last year’s reserves in the East, however, there’s possibility Simmons could slip in. The power forwards selected (as reserves, not starters) for the East last year were Paul Millsap and Al Horford. 

The reserves of the NBA All-Star team are selected by the coaches around the league and no coach can vote for their own players to make the team. Every coach must select two guards, three frontcourt players, and two wild cards. Simmons could be voted in any one of those categories, making it somewhat likely for him to get a lot of votes. For Simmons to make the team, he has to step it up in a huge way in his debut year and outdo some of the veteran competition around the league in the Eastern Conference. It’s not completely wild to imagine Simmons suiting up as an All-Star this coming season.