Ben Simmons of LSU is now being compared to LeBron James. The 6’10” freshman can do it all on the basketball court, averaging 18 points, 15 rebounds, and nearly six assists per game for the Tigers, but what makes this Australian special is his vision and ability to play anywhere on the court, creating match up issues for the opposition, and his poise will make this youngster a special player at the next level.
Philadelphia is in the best position to acquire the young Tigers star, but with the lottery in place, nothing is certain and that brings teams like the LA Lakers into the mix for his services next season.
While the Purple and Gold would love to add Simmons, chances are they will get the second or third overall selection and that will likely bring a big man to Southern California.
Drew Garrison of SB Nation believes that general manager Mitch Kupchak will use the teams pick to grab Kentucky big man Skal Labissiere. The athletic 6’11” center has tremendous upside, but his small frame could have the young man playing at forward.
Another option is Utah’s Jakob Poeltl, who plays more of a traditional role with his back to the basket and the ability to take up space in the paint. His performance this weekend against Duke showed the youngster can play on the big stage, but there’s still a question of him leaving early to enter the 2016 NBA Draft.
The best guard in the latest player rankings is junior Kris Dunn of Providence. at 6’4″ he has good size for a point guard and his scoring ability makes him a solid option for teams like Sacramento and Houston, both of which have depth issues in the back court.
