NBA rumors have been swirling around Ben Simmons since the moment he signed with the LSU Tigers. Many had projected him to be the first selection in the draft, so all eyes were on Simmons during his rookie season. Many also believed that Simmons was only sticking around the NCAA level for a season because he was ready to go pro. According to ESPN , Simmons is making that official by declaring he intends to join the National Basketball Association this summer.
Ben Simmons informed ESPN that he is signing with an agent and declaring for the NBA Draft. By hiring that agent, he will lose his eligibility to play NCAA basketball. Not that it matters, because Simmons showed very little interest in staying with the LSU Tigers for more than a season. Some are even saying that Simmons was barely able to show interest during his freshman year because his eyes have always been fixated with the National Basketball Association.
During his only season with the LSU Tigers, Ben Simmons put up some impressive numbers. He was the only NCAA basketball player to average 19 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists. If Simmons can average that much in the NBA, then he will have been worth the pick by whichever team takes him. Whenever you’re the first choice in the draft, people are going to want you to be even more dominant in the National Basketball Association.
Since 2000, there have only been nine NCAA freshman who have averaged at least 15 points and 10 rebounds per game. Ben Simmons becomes the tenth player to do that, and he joins pretty good company. Kevin Durant did it for the Texas Longhorns, and he’s currently one of the best players in the NBA. The same goes for Kevin Love with the UCLA Bruins. Paul Millsap is one of the most underrated players in the NBA, and he pulled it off as well.
Many have compared Ben Simmons to Magic Johnson and LeBron James, two of the best players in the history of the NBA. That should excite owners, general managers, and coaches in the National Basketball Association. Simmons is six-foot-10, 240 pounds, but he plays the game like a guard. That is going to create quite a few mismatches on the next level.
Ben Simmons is far from perfect. As of right now, he’s not good enough of an outside shooter in the NBA. That’s a skill he is eventually going to need to develop because opponents are going to learn to back off of him on defense. Whoever draft Simmons is going to need to surround him with shooters, including a stretch four, until he can shoot. Once he develops that skill, much like LeBron James did, he’s going to be really difficult to defend.
It’s going to be interesting to see where in the NBA that Ben Simmons plays. With the Philadelphia 76ers, the Australian native is going to be saddled with the burden of being a franchise player immediately. With a team like the Los Angeles Lakers, he can share that burden with D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle, two guys who have more experience in the National Basketball Association. Duke Blue Devils star Brandon Ingram might also complicate things because he has narrowed the gap with Simmons.
Ben Simmons declaring for the NBA Draft is something that was long expected. However, it will still make headlines. There are many who are hoping that the National Basketball Association is seeing the arrival of the next big thing. With Kobe Bryant retiring in a couple of games and Tim Duncan possibly walking away at any moment, basketball fans are going to need another wave of superstars to come in and take their places.
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