A general manager: Simmons is a cornerstone player

On December 4, Beijing time, Ben Simmons's college career had only begun a month ago, and he was already compared with LeBron James and Magic Johnson. Louisiana State University (LSU) coach Johnny Jones said he wants Simmons to run in the NBA draft after his freshman year instead of staying in college for another year.

"Absolutely not (hopefully he stays)." Jones said.

With one excellent performance after another, Simmons, who is 2.08 meters tall, has become a popular candidate for the 2016 NBA Draft. In yesterday's win over Marquette University, he blasted down 43 points, 14 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 steals and 3 blocks. He had 21 points, 20 rebounds and seven assists in the loss to Marquette University, and he also gave up 16 assists against the University of South Alabama.

Moreover, Simmons, 19, has only played 7 games.

"We're enjoying his time on the team," Jones said, "and he's like Shaquille O'Neal (also from LSU), a player who is rare." ”

After watching the legendary classic game in New York last week, an NBA general manager said Simmons was the kind of player who was the cornerstone.

"He's an amazing genius, he's just omnipotent," the general manager said, "and as a big player, he's very good at dribbling and he has a beautiful hand of passing and rebounding, a style that fits in withday's NBA." At the same time, his basketball IQ is also very high, of course, he also has some areas to improve, but he is a cornerstone player.

"He can make every teammate better, that kind of player is rare, he's very unique in that regard. Simmons still needs to grow, but at the moment he has mastered a lot of skills and equipped a lot of skills. ”

Simmons does have areas that need to be improved, like his shooting. Since the beginning of the season, he has only shot 2 three-pointers and hit 1. In the loss to Marquette University, he twice passed the ball to his teammates in the final moments, rather than choosing to end the game on his own.

"If I didn't think I needed to shoot, then I wouldn't rush to shoot," Simmons said, "and I didn't shoot a single three-pointer in that game with Marquette University, right?" But I still scored 21 points. Once I started shooting jump shots, I felt like I was going to be the kind of player that was hard to stop. ”

When it comes to whether Simmons is too selfless, both he and Coach Jones laugh.

"His main focus is on how to make others better, how to create opportunities for his teammates, because all he has in mind is winning, whether it's scoring by himself or by his teammates," Jones said. ”

Simmons said his father, Dave, taught him from an early age to think about the team, not to brush up on the data. Dave played at Oklahoma City University in college and then played in the Pro Leagues in Central America, South America and Australia.

"They told me to avoid shooting outside as much as possible," Ben Simmons said, "and my teammates can do these things, that's their job, and I feel like I can win without taking 30 points."

"Growing up in Australia, my dad taught me to be a team player. A team with five people on the pitch, five defenses is simple, but five defenses are not easy, so for me these are all natural things. ”

Simmons is the best player in the LSU since O'Neal, having previously turned down invitations from top basketball schools such as Kentucky, Kansas and Duke University.

LSU assistant coach David Patrick is Simmons' godfather, who played with Simmons' father in Australia and has been friends with their family for more than 25 years.

Simmons said he never wanted to go straight to australia or China without going to college to play in professional leagues, nor did he accept invitations from other universities.

"It would be a blessing to be able to get straight into the NBA," Simmons said, "but I can't do that, so the best option is to go to LSU." ”

Jones was thrilled to learn that Simmons was going to join the team, when he nearly destroyed his car.

"I knew he was going to come to the school for an official visit, and he called me and I said, 'Hello Ben,' 'Hello coach, I'm calling to tell you I'm going to join the team,'" Jones recalled. He said, 'No, no, no coach, I'm on my way to school and this phone call is just a promise.' ’

"I was so excited, I drove through 4 lanes and I had to find a place to park. The other drivers on the road kept honking their horns, and I just wanted to get to the parking lot as quickly as possible, park the car, and talk to him. ”

To maximize Simmons' offensive skills, Jones and his coaching team devised a number of tactics. Simmons can deliver a pass after grabbing a rebound in the backcourt, and he can read the offense like a point guard. If he doesn't have the chance to pass the ball, he will use his skillful possession and excellent physical talent to complete the attack.

"We're still adjusting to give him and his team-mates more space on the pitch," Jones said, "it's a learning process and as a team we're still developing." ”

Simmons said: "I will decide how to attack based on the gap between the left and right sides of the defender, depending on how I feel. If the defensive players are big, if I use my speed to complete the breakthrough, then they will not be able to quickly adjust their defensive position, so that the referee will blow them foul.

"That's why I often break through them from the same side with my right hand because I know I'm going to get fouled."

(Editor: Mei Zhong Award)