Ben Simmons is essentially a carbon copy of Blake Griffin.
I don't see it. Griffin is a better athlete and Simmons a better playmaker. Neither is a good shooter however.
If I had to provide a comp, and people won't like it, it would be Lamar Odom. They are extremely similar but that doesn't mean that Simmons can't be better.
I think Griffin is a pretty good comp. Both are very athletic + strong with average length. Griffin has bigger shoulders and more of a low post game, but it's not a dramatic difference; Griffin was 248lb at the combine and Simmons is listed at 240. Griffin is actually a pretty underrated passer/playmaker; maybe not as good as Simmons, but it's a strength of his. Obviously no comp is perfect but Griffin is a good example of how Simmons can be a superstar even without a 3pt shot.
I can buy that, though I do regard Simmons as a great athlete. At least that is not what he is known for (unlike Griffin).
But I think Lamar Odom is a better comp.
You don't think Simmons is a great athlete? I mean, he's not LBJ but...
Anyway I agree that Odom is a good comp too, and not an unflattering one either; Odom was a stud. Like both of those comps better than the LBJ/Magic comps that people throw around too lightly.
Simmons is very skilled. And that takes athleticism. But he isn't, in my mind, a great athlete in the same sense as Griffin. By NBA standards, where they are all pretty much great athletes, I do not think of Simmons as an "athlete".
So no, I do not view Simmons as a great athlete, which doesn't mean he can't be a great player.
