Shaquille O'Neal Compares Ben Simmons to LeBron James
Newly minted Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal believes Philadelphia 76ers top overall pick Ben Simmons possesses many of the same talents as Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James.
Jessica Camerato of CSN Philly passed along comments Monday from the four-time NBA champion about why he rates Simmons so highly ahead of his first career game.
"He's a LeBron-type player," O'Neal said. "What I mean by that, LeBron does a nice job of making everybody else around him better—passing the ball, doing the small things—and Ben is that type of player."
O'Neal and Simmons both attended LSU, which allowed the longtime dominant center to keep tabs on one of the most hyped recruits in recent memory at his alma mater. He doesn't think much of the criticism the 20-year-old forward received was warranted, per CSN Philly.
"He took a lot of flack, especially at LSU with not really taking over games," O'Neal said. "But he's young. He'll get to that. When it comes to other aspects of the game, he's very, very intelligent. He plays the game very well."
Simmons' raw numbers during his only season with the Tigers were outstanding. He averaged 19.2 points, 11.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists while shooting 56 percent from the field. His ridiculously well-rounded skill set gave him the slight edge over second pick Brandon Ingram.
Simmons did receive a lot of heat for failing to take charge in key moments, though. Those critiques were magnified by the fact that LSU, which opened the season ranked 19th in the coaches poll, struggled to build any momentum during a 19-14 campaign.
The disappointing season didn't alter his individual outlook, however.
Being compared to James is the highest possible standard. But Simmons stated on The Dan Patrick Show that he's been in contact with the four-time MVP and told him he looked forward to their head-to-head matchups, and the reigning champion had a great response, per Cork Gaines of Business Insider.
"He just flipped the camera (around) and it was the championship trophy," Simmons said. "So I couldn't say anything back."
Like James early in his career, the biggest question surrounding Simmons is whether he'll be able to develop a consistent perimeter stroke to keep opposing defenses honest. He attempted just three shots from beyond the arc in 33 games at LSU.
All the other tools are there for Simmons to become a franchise-altering talent, though. His ability to read the floor is extremely advanced for a player of his size and experience. So once he develops that killer instinct, he should help the Sixers finally emerge as a contender after an extended rebuild.
