For a while, there was some thought that Ben Simmons, the nation’s top freshman, would be surrounded by a couple of all-league big men and have a team around him that could do damage in the SEC and even in the NCAA tournament.
However, both Jarell Martin and Jordan Mickey decided to bolt LSU for the NBA draft, and now it will clearly be the Ben Simmons Show down in Baton Rouge next season.
Simmons will still have help, but without Martin and Mickey, this team will be more reliant on youth -- mainly Simmons and fellow incoming frosh Antonio Blakeney.
There are other solid players coming back: versatile guard Tim Quarterman, Keith Hornsby and talented yet enigmatic point guard Josh Gray.
But let’s not pretend: It will be all about Ben Simmons next year, and rightfully so.
Anyone remember Lamar Odom? No, not the guy who married and later filed for divorce from Khloe Kardashian, and not the one who was a shell of himself with the Mavericks, his second tour with the Clippers and even the latter years with the Lakers.
Odom could do just about everything back in the day. He was a long, rangy, athletic 6-foot-9 (and change) point forward who could handle the ball with ease, had an extremely high basketball IQ, got his teammates easy buckets and thrived in the open court.
“That’s who he reminds me of,” said one NBA executive of Simmons.
“No question,” added another NBA guy when asked about the comparison.
Simmons’ godfather, who also happens to be LSU assistant coach David Patrick (and the primary reason Simmons will play in Baton Rouge), also agrees with that assessment.
Odom would have been an NBA star if he had stayed focused and been able to consistently make shots from the perimeter. He averaged 16.6 points, 7.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists as a rookie. At the age of 25, he averaged a double-double (15.2 PPG, 10.2 RPG) with the Lakers.
Simmons is a higher-character, low-risk Lamar Odom.
Simmons measured in at the April 1 McDonald’s All American Game at 6-10. He’s already 240 pounds, and stronger than Odom. The comparison between the pair is also valid because both are/were considered mediocre shooters from the perimeter. Odom was a career 31 percent shooter from 3-point range, while Simmons doesn’t take a ton of shots from beyond the arc, and is inconsistent when he does decide to settle for perimeter jumpers.
There’s been no need for Simmons to settle. He has the strength, handle and athleticism to get to the basket -- especially at the high school level -- virtually whenever he wants. He’s able to finish above the rim and has tremendous body control. There was some thought, not too long ago, that the Aussie was too nice, too passive. However, he’s become far more assertive in the past year or so, and now he’s comfortable with being an alpha dog on the court.
Simmons is the odds-on favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NBA draft.
“It’s not done, by any means,” said one NBA GM. “But he’s the leader in the clubhouse entering the round.”
However, what kind of impact will he have on college basketball?
It may well depend on the level of success the LSU Tigers have next season. Simmons is must-watch material because of his ability to create highlight-reel plays. But if Johnny Jones’ team isn’t nationally relevant, as in Top 25 relevant, Simmons won’t garner quite the same level of attention.
“He’s such a well-rounded player,” another NBA general manager told me. “Does he need to become a better shooter? Absolutely, but he’s got everything else.”
And NBA guys always maintain that if there’s one area that they can almost certainly improve it’s a perimeter shot (e.g., Richard Jefferson, Dorell Wright, Avery Bradley).
Simmons is a star. He’s Odom without the baggage, and Odom went fourth overall in the 1999 NBA draft with that baggage.