For casual sports fans the name Ben Simmons means nothing. Probably just another Joe Schmo taking up earthly space. Its likely they'd imagine him from name alone being some cartoon-ish appliance salesmen married twice divorced once with two kids, a dog and a mix puppy on the way. He'd live in the suburbs of Nebraska; not his original birth place of course but a town where selling refrigerators is lucrative. This imagined Mr. Simmons guy would most likely love fishing for trout, hunting game and keeping himself out of the matrix as much as possible. Except Mr. Ben Simmons of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers is nothing like that. In fact, if you've never heard of him you can't possibly believe in lightning striking the same spot twice. I say that because Lebron James for example, a sports athlete who could arguably go down in history as the greatest basketball player created in a science lab somehow had his basketball DNA leaked into the veins a newer prototype. Ben Simmons may just be dare I say, the newest Chosen One.
God-like basketball talent is said to come once a generation, if all the astrological stars align. That statement alone can be taken as a universal truth since there are very few Michael Jordan's, Magic Johnson's, Larry Bird's, Shaquille O'Neal's and LeBron James type humans if you wish to call them that. Ben Simmons' potential has the trajectory to be apart of those names mentioned. Mr. Simmons is a first round draft pick from 2016, taken first before 59 other athletes. This simply means a basketball corporation thought it necessary to provide him with millions of dollars more than his rookie peers based on his upside. Sure, upside generally means nothing. Even well projected stocks fall at Wall Street. As luck would have it, he sat out his original rookie year because of injury (the 76ers organization may of cheated the system by keeping him out of basketball for a year even after he was healed). This "set back" allowed Simmons to study the game from a analytical stand point and not just an instinctive one. Imagine being given a years pay at your job to sit back and hone your skills while absorbing managements perspective on how they plan to see the corporation preform in the next five years... Exactly. This essentially expedited Ben's progression ten fold. Now let me just say skill matters in all forms of business and that doesn't change in sports. A added bonus in sports though are physical attributes. Ben Simmons is a 6'10, 240 lb "rookie" (not playing his first year qualifies him as a current rookie this year). Did I mention he plays point guard while being defended by other players typically 6'4 and under? If he isn't a video game creation, I don't know what is.
At 6'10, Ben Simmons handles the basketball like a smaller player, manipulating the defensive balance of anyone guarding him up close. He is widely compared to LeBron James because of his height and impressive ability to constantly foresee events on the court before it happens. This is proven since Simmons consistently makes the right pass to teammates during different team strategic offensive sets, visibly exposing the obvious bewilderment of defenders who slowly realizes he's found a open teammate for a easy score. He dazzles bigger opponents as well since they are not physically equipped to stay in front of him. Ben Simmons is extremely fast, agile, and jumps with thunderous ability, a contradiction of his usual even-keeled personality. Ben Simmons is incredibly strong for his age. His forward momentum never wavers against aggressive contact like a speeding box truck pushing forward among hanging twigs. Being only 21 years old builds up Simmons credibility in regards to his basketball I.Q. The game of basketball is a fast paced, quick-on-your-toes sport. Error in any form can cost you a lucrative contract, diminishing your life's sacrifices. Ben not only takes the smart route in any given possession, he exceeds expectations by being able to anticipate defensive tendencies like a matured parent who knows when their child is attempting to be devious. Currently his stats are 16.6 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.5 assist per game. Those are impressive for a basketball talent just beginning his road to fame.
To be fair, Ben Simmons is not LeBron James. Simmons does not possess natural defensive instincts given to LeBron James from the bball gods themselves. Simmons is literally incapable of making a three pointer, a part of basketball that is glorified in today's NBA. Compared to LeBron's rookie year, Ben Simmons scores less points for his team. But just because he isn't LeBron James doesn't mean he isn't the closest to him. Kobe Bryant (love him or hate him) wasn't Michael Jordan but you couldn't find a closer replicator. Ben Simmons has more rebounds (catching the ball from the air or ground when another team misses the shot) and more assist (passing to a teammate who then makes a basket from your anticipation skills) per game than his predecessor during the same span of time as a rookie. That dynamic explains Ben's team oriented contributions. He can see over the defense's eye level and deflective stances like a elephant bull who foresees a lion tribe coordinating a faulty plan. The 76ers have a good young team around Ben Simmons, generally role players who range from elite shooters, to disciplined hustlers with condensed egos. This is a formula for success in the basketball kingdom. Hell, that might just be the winning formula for a future King.
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