Ben Simmons Isn’t A Philly Guy

I don’t think Ben Simmons is the player the Sixers should draft with the to pick.  He comes across as being cool and unemotional.  There’s no doubt that the young man is very talented, but he will have problems here in Philly with that cool attitude.  His coolness will be no problem in Los Angeles or other parts of the country, but it doesn’t play well here in Philly, especially if that athletes is struggling.

Regardless of who drafts Simmons and wherever he plays, he’s going to have some growing pains and go through some struggles. Dispassionate athletes who struggle in Philly will always be criticized.

Philly likes guys who are passionate, aggressive and don’t mind letting you know it.

Simmons is not outwardly passionate.  He has the standoffish type of demeanor like Sam Bradford.

I agree with Philadelphia Daily News columnist John Smallwood who pointed a finger at the silence we hear from Simmons and his camp.   Despite there being reports of Simmons wanting to play only in Los Angeles for the Lakers, he and his camp haven’t uttered a word publicly to dispute those stories, while Ingram is letting it be known that he will eagerly play for whatever team drafts him.

“Unlike Simmons, Ingram showed up at the NBA draft combine two weeks ago and did an interview with the Sixers. He’s said, “Any organization that can take me, that’s where I want to be.”

I see some of Sam Bradford in Simmons.  He’s not an overly emotional guy.  He’s somewhat remote.  There have been rumors and stories about Simmons that haven’t been flattering.  There have been questions about his “work ethic”.

LSU beat writer Glenn Gilbeau who writes for USA Today told CSNPhilly.com that he doesn’t think Simmons is worthy of being the number one pick in the draft.

“To me, he’s more of a specialist player and a complementary player than someone who can really take over a team,” Guilbeau said. “He’s not a strong, inside player like a brute. A physical player. And he also does not shoot from the outside, which is amazing, but he’s a great passer and a great scorer.”

“I don’t think he should be the first pick,” Guilbeau said. “I can see him being a high first-round pick. It depends on the team he’s going to. Do they have enough of the other parts of the team where he can be a facilitator and a complementary player?

“He would have to go to a team where he can flourish as a complementary player, a team that has a very good center.”

“I think you could develop him to be as good as he could be, but not be that type of star,” Guilbeau said. “It’s kind of strange to me. Before he ever played he was supposed to be the greatest player, and I just never saw it. I covered great players here like Shaquille O’Neal and Chris Jackson, and he just didn’t change a team like those guys did.”

Ingram on the other hand is a young man, who came out of high school as a good player, but he’s made monumental jumps and is now a great prospect.  He’s a worker who brings more passion to the table than Simmons.

Both of these guys are very talented, but the factor which could separate them is their drive, their “work ethic”.

Who knows Simmons may work as hard as Ingram, but right now we know that Ingram has made the biggest strides of the two since he has been a college player.    I don’t know if Simmons has that fire to get better.

Simmons’ personality doesn’t fit the city of Philadelphia and that’s going to get him off to a very bad start if the Sixers draft him.  In much the same way that Bradford doesn’t fit Philly, Simmons doesn’t fit the city because he’s not a passionate type of player.