Is Ben Simmons Still The Top NBA Draft Prospect?

Ever since Ben Simmons stepped foot on LSU’s campus in Baton Rouge, he was considered the clear frontrunner to hear his name called first in the 2016 NBA Draft.

He has great size at 6’10” and will continue to grow and add on to his 225 pounds.  He possesses great ball handling for a frontcourt player, and has shown a knack for scoring down low and grabbing rebonds off the glass.  He has even been compared to Magic Johnson and LeBron James, and has been called the best prospect since the King himself.

Lately though, there have been numerous questions surrounding the Australian freshman.  Simmons has yet to show any consistency or confidence shooting outside and has seen his impact become limited as defenses throw smaller guys on him and force him to shoot.  Scouts have also questioned his competitiveness as he refuses to close out perimeter shooters or put a body on opposing players in the paint.

Can an NBA scout view Simmons, who has continued to shy away from physical play, play lackluster defense, and failed to become a threat to shoot the ball, as a franchise player?

One player who has proven to be Simmons’ top competition for the top pick in the draft is Duke guard/forward Brandon Ingram.  Ingram has been compared to Kevin Durant since the 2014 NBA MVP had a slender build coming out of Texas in 2007 that resembles Ingram and both have elite scoring ability.

Ingram, 18, shoots 41% from three and with the NBA seeing more three pointers than ever before, he could become a more inviting prospect for a franchise looking for a turnaround or a team like Philadelphia, who desperately needs offense to spark a resurgence.

With Simmons’ lack of range, other comparisons could end up being more accurate than Magic and LeBron.  Some scouts have called him a taller Rajon Rondo or a more athletic Evan Turner, both of whom are notorious for their inability to stretch the floor, Rondo is shooting a respectable 35% from three this season but a paltry 28% for his career.  Turner’s career percentage from downtown is a mere 30% while he is shooting an atrocious 18% this season.

One last knack on SImmons is that he failed to carry LSU to the NCAA Tournament, numbers are nice but team success plays a part in evaluating how a player makes his teammates better.  He has appeared to chase individual stats over team success.

Ingram has managed nice numbers as well but he will not compromise his team’s chance to win while chasing individual accolades.

Simmons has likely played his last game for the Tigers (a disastrous 71-38 loss to Texas A&M in the SEC semifinals) as they announced they will not participate in any postseason tournaments after missing out on the NCAA.  Duke matches up with Colonial champs UNC Wilmington in the first round of the NCAA Tourney on Thursday, March 17, at 12:15 in Providence, R.I..

The debate over who should go number one will be settled on June 23 when the NBA Draft takes place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

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Article by Nick Vigliotti