Why Simmons, not Ingram is #1 Pick

In June, the crown jewel for the NBA is the draft as it has all the fans waiting in anticipation of whom they believe could send their franchise in the right direction or in the case of the already elite teams, could continue their excellence for an extended period of time. This year there is a large amount of indecision in regards to who the top overall talent in the draft is and who should be taken with the first pick in the draft. Coming into the year it was thought to be a done deal that Ben Simmons would be the number one overall pick as his package of tools and skills, elite size, elite vision, elite handle and passing and great rebounding, all of which give his team a huge advantage, but his freshman season at LSU did not go as planned. The draft now has Duke’s Brandon Ingram going against Simmons to see who will be the number one pick with the other likely going second overall. In fact, this has the makings to be one of the tougher choices since Kevin Durant and Greg Oden were the top gems in the draft back in 2007.

Back in 2007, Oden and Durant were far and away the two crown jewels. Durant just finished his ridiculously good season at Texas and the seven-foot Oden, along with Mike Conley, led Ohio State to the Final Four and then the Championship game only to lose to the Florida Gators. Oden was the kind of big man NBA executives dreamed about with skill using both hands, athleticism, decent free-throw shooting, solid rebounding and elite rim protection. He was a do-it-all center, a once in a generation type big man. While Durant had just finished a season where his team fell short int the second round of the NCAA tournament to USC despite his average of 25.8 points per game.

The same is said here with two clear choices as the top two talents, and that being said the choice is still a clear one for the teams like the Celtics, Suns, Lakers, 76ers, and Timberwolves all wrestling for the number one pick. Simmons should be their man. To be clear this is not a knock on Ingram, who is a very good player and a huge mismatch in his own right, but rather an endorsement of how good Simmons can be. Yes, Simmons freshman campaign was a disaster in which the Tigers missed the NCAA tournament and got obliterated against Texas A&M in their conference tournament, which was their final chance for a tournament berth. Yes, Simmons had disciplinary problems for missing classes, and yes he seemed disinterested at times and had games where took two shots in a half despite clearly being the best player. Those are all true and unfortunately for Simmons he will carry those wherever his next stop takes him, but he is a transcendent talent that could alter a franchise in a very positive way.

Simmons had a fantastic year and took far too much of the blame for not leading a selfish LSU team to the NCAA tournament. After all, Simmons averaged 19.2 points per game, 11.8 rebounds per game, and 4.8 assists per game, while also shooting 67 percent from the free throw line on nine attempts per game, shot 56 percent from the floor overall, and came up with two steals per game. Now tell me again how he disappointed and didn’t play up to snuff? The real problem was he went to a school and a coach that had no idea how to handle star players and make them better. That is the reason why stars choose Duke, Kentucky, North Carolina, Kansas, and Michigan State among others. Those coaches and programs know how to handle the star power, expectations, and make their players better.

Despite all that working against Simmons, and the fact he has no jump shot whatsoever, he still averaged a double-double to go along with five assists and two steals standing at 6’10”.

Looking at the other competitor for the number one pick Brandon Ingram had a very good year as well for the Blue Devils, who made it to the Sweet Sixteen before being bounced at the hands of the Oregon Ducks. Ingram averaged 17.3 points per game, 6.8 rebounds per game, and two assists per game to go along with one steal and one block per game. Ingram also shot 41 percent from three-point range and hit 68 percent of his free throws. An impressive year for a freshman and anyone who watched him can tell Ingram has skills and can succeed at the NBA level. However, the most common comp you hear is Kevin Durant, due to their size and lean bodies, as well as scoring ability and fluidness. That is not fair, however, and unless there is a Kevin Durant, a 6’10” point guard who averaged a double-double and half way to triple-double should no doubt be the number one pick.

Consider the differences between Ingram and Durant. Durant averaged about 26 points and 11 rebounds per game, to go along with two steals and two blocks per game. He also shot 82 percent from the free-throw line, 41 percent from three, and 47 percent from the field. Durant is also an elite athlete compared to Ingram. Ingram on the other hand, averaged nine points less per game, five fewer rebounds per game, shot 13 points lower from the free-throw line and had a much more inconsistent jump shot. Ingram is a fine player, but that is unfair to compare the two.

That leaves just Simmons as the shining star and talent that is generational. Sure he needs to work on his jumper. He definitely needs to work on his attitude and body language which was a huge minus at LSU, and he can be more consistent in possessing the alpha dog mentality needed when you are the best player on the floor. However, he has an NBA body and elite package of tools you rarely ever see from a player his height and age. Put it simply, he can impact the game regardless if he gets better or not due to his outstanding court vision, passing abilities, rebounding and athleticism. He also gets to the basket at will.

So don’t compare Ingram to Durant when Durant was a once in a generation type scorer. Instead, take Simmons, who is a once in a generation type mismatch and player because despite the negativity that has unfairly come his way. He remains the prospect who can instantly upgrade your teams present and charge your team’s future.

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