Charles Barkley: Ben Simmons ‘won’t do great in NBA next year’

CHARLES Barkley isn’t in the camp that believes Aussie prospect Ben Simmons will make an immediate impact in the NBA.

GAINESVILLE, FL - JANUARY 09: Ben Simmons #25 of the LSU Tigers looks on during the game against the Florida Gators at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center on January 9, 2016 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Rob Foldy/Getty Images)

CHARLES Barkley has moved to temper expectation rising Australian basketball star Ben Simmons will be an immediate hit in the NBA.

Barkley was promoting the benefits of staying in the US college system for more than one year during an appearance on Bill Simmons’ podcast.

Ben Simmons has made no secret of his plan to nominate for the NBA draft after his freshman season at LSU, even telling Sports Illustrated in a recent interview he would have preferred to go straight from high school to the pros. “I think I could have it done it,” Simmons said. “Yup.”

But Barkley disagrees, saying the quality of basketball in the NBA was being hurt by the introduction of underdeveloped players each season.

“We got to find a way to keep these kids in college at least two years,” Barkley said. “We bringing guys to the NBA who don’t have any clue how to play basketball or help a team win — and it just sucks.

“Look at the 10 greatest players ever ... in my opinion Michael [Jordan], Oscar [Robertson], Bill Russell, Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar], Wilt [Chamberlain] those are the top five, then you’ve got Magic [Johnson] and [Larry] Bird and Tim Duncan, all these guys stayed in college more than one year. Kobe is the exception, him and LeBron.

“What’s wrong with guys staying in school? It really didn’t affect those guys. I know their agents and their family members are greedy pigs, they want them to get to the contract and the second contract as quickly as possible, but we’ve got to find a way to help the league because this isn’t great basketball right now ...

“I even look at the kid at LSU, Simmons. He’s a good player but he’s not going to do great in the NBA next year.”

Ben Simmons thinks he’s ready to go pro.

Simmons has a great opportunity to push his case as the best player in college basketball when he fronts up against Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield — the man tipped take home the Naismith Player of the Year trophy this season — this Sunday (9am AEDT).

The 19-year-old power forward from Melbourne plays host to the second-ranked Sooners in a game which would do wonders for the NCAA tournament ambitions if they were to pull off an upset.

But the Tigers will need to find a way to slow down Hield, who averages 25.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists a game.

“The best player in the country is the kid from Oklahoma,” Barkley said. “If he doesn’t win player of the year it’s a sham. He’s been the best player.”

Simmons, whose Tigers are only 13-7, ranks 34th in the nation with 19.8 points a contest but is third among US collegians with 12.7 rebounds a game and also boasts 4.9 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.0 blocked shots a game over 31.4 minutes per contest.

The Aussie is flirting with rare feats. Only two freshmen since the 1972-73 season have scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds a game.

And Simmons ranks in the top five among Southeastern Conference schools in points, rebounds and assists with no player having finished the season in the top five in all three categories since the league began charting all three statistics in 1969.

Barkley spent three years at Auburn before being drafted by the 76ers.

It’s no wonder that NBA scouts are longing to fit him for a uniform, although Simmons has said he hopes to play for Australia at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in August. And he still has Louisiana State games and grades to consider before he commits to turning professional.

“I’ve got to finish this season first and my classes,” he said. “I’ll get my grades first and then we will see what happens.” Campus life is different for Simmons, who has a documentary film crew following him around as he has since high school stardom struck.

“We’ll have to wait and see with that but it should be coming out soon,” he said. “It looks cool.” Simmons, who moved to Florida from Australia in 2013, has adjusted to college and fame well in a region known for spicy Cajun cooking and its love for Tigers sports teams.

“It’s a lot different just walking to classes or getting a meal. Everybody kind of recognises you around campus, but it’s cool,” Simmons said.

“Just being in college, it’s just different than being in high school and me being from Australia. Everything (is different), the food, the people, some Cajun food. It’s a bit different but I’m enjoying it.” Simmons and his roommates have friends look after their pet lizards when they are on the road, although they had to ditch the pet snakes they had earlier in the school year.

“We were just bored at the start of the season when nothing was happening. We’ve settled down on that,” Simmons said. “We had to get rid of those (snakes). The lizards are easy to take care of.”

— with AFP