Tatum is better but the way 76ers use Simmons I see Simmons always being a better stat stuffer.
So for fantasy basketball I draft Simmons ahead of Tatum. In the real NBA I take Tatum.
This is unfair. Simmons is a tremendous passer and rebounder. Much better than Tatum in those areas. Those stats aren't empty stat stuffing stats. He is also an extremely good finisher, something Tatum really needs to work on. Sure, Tatum is a better shooter but Simmons is still average in his scoring efficiency.
Playoffs, Simmons got exposed while Tatum soared. I'm sure teams will be playing Simmons a lot more differently. If Simmons doesn't develop that shot he is going to be in trouble. Tatum has no flaws other than he isn't going to have a high usage rate. Tatum is basically a bigger version of Klay Thompson in that sense. Two things to also consider is whenever Tatum was at point foward he did well passing. Tatum is also a better defender than Simmons. Tatum isn't simply a better scorer he is a better overall player.
Tatum is not a better scorer than Simmons. He is a better shooter. Big difference.
Uh, what? This is a joke, right? Tatum is categorically, hands-down a better scorer than Simmons. He can score at all three levels; Simmons can only score on one level. Further, Tatum has shown that he can score on all types of defense - man, zone, pressure, etc. - and can both do it on his own (iso) or via ball movement. How exactly did Simmons do when we sagged off of him in the playoffs?
This just isn't a sensible argument that can be made by a reasonable person.
Of course it's a sensible argument. Don't be ridiculous. Tatum may be able to score more ways but Simmons is elite at scoring inside and finishing where Tatum is mediocre. His elite ability inside makes up for his lack of shooting.
Gianni's isn't a good shooter but is an elite scorer. LeBron wasn't a good shooter for many early years but was a elite scorer. Wade was similar. Just because you can't shoot from outside doesn't mean you aren't a scorer.
Tatum had a TS% of 58%. Simmons was at 56%. Not much difference there despite Tatum's great three point shooting and better FT shooting. Simmons scored a half point higher per36 taking less than 1 shot more per36. These stats show that an argument that Tatum is unquestionably a better scorer than Tatum is, to be nice, bunk.
Comparing Simmons' shooting to the likes of Lebron, Giannis, and Wade is about as non-analogous as they come. While they were not known as good three point shooters, each one of them, especially Wade and Lebron, had/have proficient (if not even dangerous) midrange games, and all were at least threats from the midrange and even three point shot, too. The same simply cannot be said about Simmons, who was given the Dwight Howard treatment most of the time out on the perimeter.
http://bkref.com/tiny/YLBZ5 - one of these is not like the other.
Watching the Boston/Philly series is all you need to know about who is the better scorer. The fact that simply sagging off of Simmons 4-5 feet totally nullified him in most games of the series highlights why Tatum's versatility clearly overcomes whatever advantage Simmons has at finishing at the basket.
And this is all besides the fact that Tatum is nearly two years younger, too. Once Tatum's body matures, he'll be even more dangerous due to being more explosive and having the strength and size to finish even better at the rim, which he is already no chump at.