Worst Gets to Know First: A Cleveland Cavaliers Discussion

Secondly, I want to talk about LeBron James and Ben Simmons. Simmons has, since he has been drafted, drawn some comparisons to the 12 time All-Star and four time MVP. Do you see the likenesses, or do you think that’s a stretch? 

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Rakos:

"There certainly are some similarities between LeBron and Simmons, which revolve around their size and all-around talent. First off, Simmons is 6’10”, 240 pounds while LeBron is 6’8″ and 250 pounds. Beyond size, their style of play has similarities. In college, Simmons averaged around 20 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists while his summer league stats were 10.8 PPG, 7.7 RPG and 5.5 APG. LeBron’s career stats are 27.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG and 6.9 APG. So there are similarities between their two games in terms of rebounds and assists. In particular, LeBron and Simmons are both excellent passers. I also think people like to compare them because both LeBron and Simmons don’t have much of an outside shot. Both are working on this aspect of their game. But people suffer from recency bias, as they forget that LeBron used to be better with his shot. He has made over 100 in 8 of his seasons (and over 90 in two more) and averages 103.3 threes over his NBA career. Simmons played 14 college games with a closer three point line and he’s only shot three threes. LeBron made 63 threes his NBA rookie year, so Simmons has a long way to go to be on LeBron’s level in this area of the game. My biggest hesitation with comparing LeBron and Simmons, and comparing players in general, is that it’s unfair to the newcomer being compared. There is only one LeBron. There is only one Michael Jordan. There is only one Kobe, Magic, Kareem, Wilt, etc. I try not to compare players to one another because then we tend to get lost in the comparison and forget to appreciate the greatness of that player."

Ferguson:

"To me, a lot of the comparisons between Simmons and James are about hyping Ben up, and I want them to stop. Having watched LeBron from high school to where he’s at now, there is no comparison in terms of what he accomplished in high school and what Simmons has done leading up to the NBA. In fact, I wrote on this topic a while ago, and I think it provides an interesting take. In terms of breaking down their individual games, I do see quite a few similarities to their games. I believe they’re similar in that they both thrive with the ball in their hands and are great playmakers. Though Simmons’ passing is better and flashier, comparable to Steve Nash or Ricky Rubio. In terms of makeup, Simmons has to bulk up before he will truly be compared to LeBron. That gives LeBron an advantage in his post game and driving to the rim. I believe LeBron’s jump shot is also better than Simmons’ because teams have to at least respect it. In Summer League, we began to see teams pack the paint when Simmons was on the floor. I believe Simmons is going to have an All-Star-caliber career. It’s on him to take his game to the next level by adding a jump shot, which will open up every other area of his game."

Next: Question 3