Nick Piccone
In what might be the least surprising news of the day month year, Bleacher Report is reporting, according to league sources, that the Sixers are leaning towards taking Ben Simmons as the number one overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft, set to take place next month.
The coast-to-coast debate over the merits of Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram expected to take place over the next five weeks might be a moot point.
The Philadelphia 76ers are leaning heavily toward taking Simmons on June 23, according to league sources, with the No. 1 overall pick they landed in the NBA draft lottery Tuesday night.
That would set the Los Angeles Lakers up at No. 2 with Ingram, who already wowed them in his May 11 interview on opening day of the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago. Ingram’s drive to be great and dedication to winning, according to sources, resonated deeply with the Lakers’ front-office contingent.
The 76ers will further investigate Ingram, but they have great confidence in the upside of Simmons, whose ambidextrous athletic ability at 6’10” and 240 pounds comes with innate basketball instincts.
There’s been a large contingent of people growing weary of Simmons over the last few months, especially because he didn’t want to play in the NIT tournament since LSU didn’t make the NCAA tournament in March. He’s also has had character issues come into question along with poor grades. Will that matter to the Sixers, who are in the best position for the draft than any other NBA team?
Hell. No.