Bobby Simmons vs Harrison Barnes: Who Wins on NBA Stats?

Few NBA comparisons generate more debate than Bobby Simmons vs Harrison Barnes. The numbers reveal a genuinely competitive matchup — Harrison Barnes takes 4 categories while Bobby Simmons claims 3, making this one of the closer head to head comparisons at the SF position. Every statistical category matters in a matchup this tight.

Harrison Barnes's Points Per Game of 13.6 compared to Bobby Simmons's 9.0 represents a 51.1% advantage — dramatically better than their counterpart in this critical category. Bobby Simmons falls 35.3% below the career average of 13.9 in this category while Harrison Barnes exceeds it. It is the single most decisive number in this comparison and the clearest statistical argument for Harrison Barnes's edge.

The most competitive category in this matchup is Free Throw %, where Bobby Simmons posts 82.3% against Harrison Barnes's 81.1% — a gap of just 1.5%. Bobby Simmons can point to this as evidence that the overall comparison is closer than the final 4-3 tally suggests. In any debate, Free Throw % is the statistical ammunition for the Bobby Simmons side.

The forward position in professional basketball demands versatility — the ability to score, rebound and defend at an elite level. The most decorated forwards in NBA history have excelled across multiple statistical categories.

The verdict favors Harrison Barnes — 4 categories to 3 — but Bobby Simmons makes this far from a one-sided debate. Anyone building the case for Bobby Simmons has real statistical ammunition particularly in Free Throw % where the gap narrows to just 1.5%. The numbers have spoken, but the argument will continue.