NBA Today: Top 5 transition scorers in the league right now
The pace of the NBA has continued to increase over the past half-decade, and in addition to throwing up an avalanche of threes, teams are looking to push the pace to pick up easy buckets. The ability to transition from defense to offense is a key factor in any game, and teams can punish their opponents by responding quickly to a rebound or blocked shot by launching a swift attack that takes advantage of a defense that has not had the time to get back into position.
A successful fast break is often launched by a quick pass to a well-positioned attacker, although players are increasingly taking it upon themselves to gather a rebound and drive to the basket. So, with transitional scoring playing such a big role in the modern NBA, here we will take a look at the top 5 transition scorers in the league.
#5 Ben Simmons - Philadelphia 76ers
During the offseason, Ben Simmons worked on overhauling his broken jump-shot, and after knocking down a three-pointer in preseason, it was believed that the Australian would finally offer a threat from beyond the arc. However, Simmons has connected with just one three so far this season, forcing the third-year guard to rely on his excellent transition game.
Despite his 6'10 frame, Simmons is blessed with blistering pace, and the Philadelphia 76ers star could easily be mistaken for a young LeBron James as he attacks the basket on the break. Due to his reluctance to shoot the ball, Simmons doesn't get close to top players in terms of points scored in transition, although Josh Hart is the only player in the NBA to have attempted more of their attempts following fast breaks.