The NCAA tournament starts this week, and that is usually a good time for NBA fans to get their first look at some of the top prospects that might be entering the draft this coming summer. That again is the case this year, but there is one notable omission, and that is presumed number one pick Ben Simmons.
There was a time when it seemed as though Simmons was a lock to be the first overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, but due to LSU's struggles throughout the year it has made some reconsider. Much has been made of the fact that what could be the most talented player in the country isn't even in the field of 68 teams.
In the latest mock draft on DraftExpress, Duke freshman Brandon Ingram has passed Simmons as the number one overall pick. Ingram started off the year a little slowly for Duke but picked up his play big-time once conference play started. Combine that with the fact that Simmons' flaws haven't shown signs of improvement and his team was noncompetitive multiple times, and this starts to make some sense.
As the season kept moving on there was more and more talk that Simmons was no longer a lock to be taken first overall. Ingram and his wiry 6-foot-9 frame did a lot to help that discussion, but Simmons did not do much to help himself. Make no mistake about it, Simmons put up great numbers in his freshman season (19.2 points, 11.9 rebounds per game) and clearly showed how talented he is, but there are concerns about his competitiveness.
Ingram on the other hand has also put up big numbers as a freshman (16.8 points, 6.8 rebounds), but the difference is he has shown he could shoot the ball consistently and has also shown the ability to make winning plays in crunch time of big games. Some NBA teams are also concerned about Simmons' character and feel he might not be the best teammate when he gets to the NBA, all things that you don't hear about Ingram.
While all of these bad things are being said about Simmons, there is still a chance he goes first overall in the draft. It seems as though it is only a two- horse race for that pick, and whichever player isn't picked first will likely go second, but the two freshmen are trending in opposite directions. Both players have the talent to be very good players at the NBA level and maybe even be potential perennial All-Stars, but there is more to it than just talent. Yes, Ingram is on a team with better players than Simmons is, but Duke will be playing in the NCAA tournament while LSU will be watching from home, and that says something about the teams' star players.
