Ben Simmons and LSU
- Thread starter Montana81
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People are comparing him to full grown man LeBron, but right now at this age there is no way LeBron was significantly better than this kid. Little more powerful, little more athletic, but this kid's court vision and ability to pass the ball are unreal. You put tools all around him like Kentucky has and Good God you have a nightmare.
Maybe he's now what Lebron was senior year in high school. No comparison if LBJ had gone to college, he would've destroyed Simmons.
LeBron put up 21pts 6ast 5.5reb 1.6stl .7blks his rookie year. LeBron is a better passer and has a better basketball iq than Simmons and is also quite a bit more athletic
LSU will be stopped by two words Jonnie Jones one of the worst if not the worst game coaches I have seen.
Lebron could play for LSU today, and the lack of coaching would be their down fall. I don't understand why a talent like Simmons or Blankney, would risk hurting their draft stock playing for Johnny Jones. They seem to think they have so much nba talent, that they don't have to play defense. I'm feeling a lot better about our game with them.
LeBron put up 52 on Ariza as a high school senior. As a junior and a year younger than Carmelo, he dropped 36pts 8rebs and 5ast on Melo
Agree that Bron was stronger and a tad more athletic at the same age, but this kid is smoother and more graceful and can fit into a team better without having to dominate the ball as much. This kid sets screens, rebounds, and plays excellent team basketball which is why folks bring Magic into the comparisons even though LeBron is a wonderful passer himself. Disagree that Bron had a better basketball IQ or was a better passer as I think they are comparable.
Either way, no need to get your panties in a wad over this discussion... it is a thread about Simmons after all.
People seem to overlook the physical specimen Lebron is and was, even in high school.
LeBron dominates the ball, because he is the best passer, playmaker, and scorer on every team he is on. You do know that LeBron is only the second player on NBA history to be Top 25 in points and assists and he isn't close to being done. You lost me at LeBron doesn't play team basketball and that LeBron is only a tad more athletic. LeBron is the perfect type of athlete for a basketball player and if I had to guess LeBron would rather play in the 90s than in today's game as the rules fit him better
LeBron would win, but it wouldn't be a pushover, like you are insinuating. I hate when people put things on pedestals from the past and think nothing can touch them.
I'm not putting LeBron on some fake pedastal that can't be touched. He is one of the greatest basketball players of all time and I have seen nothing from Ben Simmons to suggest he will be that. Lebron's stats/records are incredible and back it up as well. I also like to watch his games from high school from time to time because they are incredible.
This is from a game his rookie year:
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![[laughing]](http://l.yimg.com/j/assets/img/emoticons/classic/laugh.r191677.gif "Laughing [laughing]")
Nothing being put on a pedestal. I saw lebron play multiple times in high school; I watched Simmons play last year. Lebron would destroy him in every facet of the game. This is truth.
I'm just saying don't act like it would be 21-0 LeBron. Simmons is really good and we are talking about highschool LeBron vs highschool Simmons. Not prime LeBron vs now Simmons.
Blakeney and Simmons ? wonder if it's crossed Johnny's mind to do some pick and roll top of key stuff ? Prob not?
I understand where the Lebron comparisons are coming from but Simmons ball skills, athleticism, play making, and passing are all great for his size, just not as good as Lebron was in those areas at the same age.
Lebron is the best player of his generation and has an argument for being the best of all time.
Lebron is the best player of his generation and has an argument for being the best of all time.
Slightly off topic but I don't want to start an entirely new thread....Stephen Zimmerman is looking good in this UNLV/UCLA game.
Simmons is a fantastic player and prospect, but LeBron is a generational, all-time great. It isn't all that close of a contest, unless you've simply forgotten how good LeBron James was at 16, 17, 18 years old.
Simmons may play a similar style, but LeBron was far and away the better player at the same age. That's in no way a knock on the kid, either. Vince Carter and Michael Jordan were similar players, and Vince was a multi-time all star and franchise player, but there's a tier of greatness that includes very rare company.
There was little doubt, even at 18, that LeBron was on his way there. Simmons will be a very good pro, but he could easily be Lamar Odom, have a great career, and still fall short of that kind of stature.
It really all boils down to the physical gifts, too. That athletic ceiling is what turned LeBron's unbelievable skill into a Mt. Rushmore type player. Simmons' jumper isn't nearly good enough to compensate for the gap in athleticism and explosiveness. In fact, it's worse than LeBron's at the same age too. Simmons is a better rebounder, and passing is close, but LeBron was a better athlete, ball handler, defender, shooter and finisher.
Simmons may play a similar style, but LeBron was far and away the better player at the same age. That's in no way a knock on the kid, either. Vince Carter and Michael Jordan were similar players, and Vince was a multi-time all star and franchise player, but there's a tier of greatness that includes very rare company.
There was little doubt, even at 18, that LeBron was on his way there. Simmons will be a very good pro, but he could easily be Lamar Odom, have a great career, and still fall short of that kind of stature.
It really all boils down to the physical gifts, too. That athletic ceiling is what turned LeBron's unbelievable skill into a Mt. Rushmore type player. Simmons' jumper isn't nearly good enough to compensate for the gap in athleticism and explosiveness. In fact, it's worse than LeBron's at the same age too. Simmons is a better rebounder, and passing is close, but LeBron was a better athlete, ball handler, defender, shooter and finisher.
He's basically Julius Randle but with much better passing. One day a team might just be smart enough to play Simmons and LSU the same way they did Randle and UK.... make the team beat you from the outside.
Simmons, btw, is 19 already. He is a very good passer but he has one glaring problem. He can't shoot. The go to guy can't shoot. Put a long uber athletic 3/4 on him and let's see what happens. He is good but his limitation may make it pretty easy for talented college teams to control him. He will probably be more impressive in the league, but he is going to have to fix his shooting.
This kid is the most talented player in the country and is going to be a force. With his skillset and frame, he is one tough dude to gameplan against. Skal would have a tough time trying to guard this dude. I'm glad we have Pothress to throw at this kid. I know he's not going to stop this kid, just too much talent to deal with. If he can just slow him down and not let the other's on the team beat us, we're good to go. He's going to be a star at the next level. He should be the #1 pick in the draft and if some team screws that up and picks someone else, they should be fired. This kid's game is made for the NBA and with the shooters they have in the NBA, he will be a ASSIST machine.
I covered Lebron during his High School years, he definitely had all of these traits and then some. Absolutely incredible.
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