No one can doubt the talent of Ben Simmons. The Australian point forward is the early favorite to win the Rookie Of The Year Award, and he will be an integral part of the Philadelphia 76ers franchise in the future. That’s not all, though. There’s a lot of hype surrounding him, but we have to see if he’ll live up to the expectations.
Some have voiced concerns due to his attitude. Others have expressed a lack of effort. National columnists have talked about his inability to take over games. But Simmons shouldn’t have those problems as a pro. Even though he’s very young, few players have been as polished as him at the college level. In fact, he’s already been compared to LeBron James, arguably one of the best players in the league’s history.
Those are some big shoes to fill, but he shouldn’t have problems to live up to the expectations. Simmons has all the traits needed to be an instant success at the NBA level. The Sixers might have a depleted roster, but the former LSU star will be the one who will start to turn things around.
He’s smart. He’s obviously talented. He can play a number of positions on offense, and defend them too. He can score, rebound, pass and orchestrate the offense. And he’s 6’10” so he has the size to be an absolute matchup on the perimeter. He didn’t play a lot with the Sixers during the NBA Summer League, but his highlight reel is impressive:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQAwDojUXOs&w=854&h=480
Simmons even has the support of former LSU star and newly-inducted Hall Of Famer, Shaquille O’Neal. The former Los Angeles Lakers center said “He’s a LeBron-type player,” O’Neal said. “What I mean by that, LeBron does a nice job of making everybody else around him better — passing the ball, doing the small things — and Ben is that type of player.”
Comparing Simmons to James is a high praise and he might not live to The King’s stature. But he has all the tools to get there. It’s only a matter of time before he puts it together. And when he does, he’s going to takeover the league by storm.
So buckle up, basketball fans. Ben Simmons’ legend is about to begin, and all signs indicate it’s going to be an exciting ride.