Earlier in college basketball, Ben Simmons had the NBA salivating over him.
The 6ft 10in (approximately 2.08m) Australian is 19 years old this year.
During his time at LSU, his performance was jaw-dropping.
He showed his outstanding ability to organize the offense and outstanding athletic talent. People regarded him as the next superstar in the NBA, and even compared his game and display of dominance with LeBron James.
However, five months later, with the University of Louisiana missing the NCAA tournament this season, Simmons also began to lose the NBA’s preference for him.
Yahoo.com’s NBA draft expert Jonathan Jiwani wrote a scathing report after watching Simmons’ freshman performance.
In the report, Jiwani said the NBA is skeptical that Simmons can become an NBA superstar.
In his first year in college, Simmons put up an impressive stat sheet.
He averaged 19 points, nearly 12 rebounds, and 5 assists per game while shooting 56 percent from the field.
Despite the LSU Tigers’ 19-14 record, some saw Simmons as the guy who pushed the team and kept it competitive.
However, some NBA team executives believe Simmons’ numbers are “empty,” according to Givani.
Those executives compared Simmons to “a taller Rajon Rondo, a more athletic Evan Turner, or a leaner Royce White,” Jivani noted.
That’s not a good comparison for a future superstar.
According to Jiwani, Simmons’ attitude is also problematic.
Some NBA executives felt that Simmons often played too easily during the regular season and lacked the desire to help LSU advance to the NCAA tournament.
“The concern for NBA teams is that if Simmons doesn’t care enough to get LSU into the NCAA Tournament in one of the key games he played in — such as against Tennessee,” Jivani wrote.
University and Kentucky, so how focused is he going to be in the 82 regular-season games that are more physical and mental?”
But perhaps more importantly, no one knows what Simmons will do at a higher level.
Offensively, Simmons’ problems are even more pronounced.
At LSU, the 6-foot-10 man was more of a shooting guard, letting him dominate the offense and giving him unlimited firepower.
But in the NBA, such a situation will never happen.
There will be better, more experienced players to control the game, and the team’s main scorer will also need the ball.
After Simmons entered the NBA, when he didn’t have the ball in his hands, he was in trouble.
His jump shot is not satisfactory. In college, he only made 33% of his three-pointers. This led to his defense mostly adopting the strategy of anti-sudden shooting, which also made him more difficult in the game.
passive.
Because if he tries to pick up speed, it’s going to get really crowded in the paint.
So for those teams that are likely to hold high picks in the draft in June, Simmons’ role is very embarrassing.
Most of these teams already have talented young playmakers, or players who need to attack with the ball.
What the Philadelphia 76ers need is a playmaker who can lead the team, and they already have some big men entrenched in the paint.
Such a situation would magnify Simmons’ lack of shooting ability, and perhaps make his career more difficult.
In the three months leading up to the draft, these questions are crucial for both Simmons and the teams that might select him.
The team will continue to learn about Simmons from their inspections and practices, and Simmons, who has unique talents, needs to answer all these questions.
At the same time, after Simmons’ college basketball career came to an end, the former No. 1 favorite may also have to accept the fact that the draft pick has slipped.
(Translation: Wang Huinan)
Source: Business Insider
Original title: The NBA is souring on Ben Simmons, the freshman who was destined to be the next superstar
Last update time: 03/16 18:39
In the early days of college basketball, Ben Simmons had the NBA salivating over him.
The 6ft 10in (approximately 2.08m) Australian is 19 years old this year.
During his time at LSU, his performance was jaw-dropping.
He showed his outstanding ability to organize the offense and outstanding athletic talent. People regarded him as the next superstar in the NBA, and even compared his game and display of dominance with LeBron James.
However, five months later, with the University of Louisiana missing the season