15. Ben Simmons (LSU)
Advertisement
Advertisement
The Magic Johnson comparisons weren’t unique to just Ben Simmons’ breakout rookie season in 2017-2018. When he held his own in one-on-one battles against Anthony Davis and James Harden at Nike Academy workouts before even stepping foot in college, and with teams seeing him as a guy whose entire life revolved around basketball, teams saw a teenager who stood 6’10 and 240lbs, with once-in-a-decade passing ability, and immediately believed he was worth taking if his ceiling was even in the same neighborhood as an Earvin Johnson.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Sure, there was a contingent of people who were spooked by Simmons’ near-broken shooting mechanics, and began toying with the idea of taking Brandon Ingram over Simmons, that idea never really gained much traction.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement