The Hype Of Ben Simmons

In the past, I’ve always taken the side of players on teams that just don’t win.

After all, just because your team doesn’t claim a championship doesn’t mean you aren’t any good.

That sort of logic would mean Steve Kerr was better than John Stockton, or Luc Longley was better than Patrick Ewing. We don’t believe those things because, well, that kind of opinion is just ridiculous.

But, in Ben Simmons' case, I have to go against my normal line of thinking.

Dude played at LSU, who didn’t make the Big Dance. His numbers were impressive, and it’s not every day we see someone his size pass and handle the ball that well.

But, was he really worthy of the first pick if his team didn’t win?

I don’t think so.

If we were just going off stats, you’d have to take Kay Felder, the 5-foot-9 point guard out of Oakland.

That dude’s numbers were unreal. He dropped 37 points on Michigan State, leading Tom Izzo to call him one of the best hoopsters he’s seen in Auburn Hills. That’s a pretty high compliment.

But, Felder played in a crappy conference. He may not have the size of Simmons, but he has basically the same numbers, if not better.

Do you know when Felder was drafted?

All the way down at 52 by Cleveland.

Why isn’t Simmons given the same treatment?

I mean, you could make the argument that LSU had better competition, but did they really? The Tigers only played six top-25 teams.

Of course he looked good if he was the best option on a team that wasn’t playing anyone worth mentioning.

Further, 64 teams make the tournament each year. 64!

The fact that a school as big as LSU didn’t dance should be an embarrassment to not only Simmons, but LSU in general.

This upcoming year, we'll see if Ben Simmons lives up to the hype.

On a team as terrible as Philadelphia, he’ll be sure to get the right amount of playing time against quality opponents. Then, we'll see if he really was worth that top pick.

Until then, I’m not impressed.