LA Lakers Should Consider Ben Simmons Carefully

As the more than likely No. 1 overall pick in next year’s NBA Draft, Ben Simmons is a timely temptation for the LA Lakers.

If all else fails this season, the Los Angeles Lakers will yet again try to bank on the “next season will be better” ideology.

In doing so, they may put their trust in Ben Simmons, currently of LSU.

To complement Julius Randle‘s efforts at power forward, Simmons would be best used in the small forward role, should the Lakers pick him up.

It’s a spot that Kobe Bryant‘s official and looming retirement will leave open and one that many fans will probably not want filled by the likes of Nick Young — better known as “Swaggy P.”

Simmons gives the well-rounded approach that many NBA teams are drawn to from some of the best that college basketball has to offer.

While LSU isn’t anywhere near the top-tier quality program at this time, they do have one of the best prospects we’ve seen in a long time — and if the Lakers make him one of their own, they’ll have to proceed with caution.

One thing the franchise doesn’t want to see happen is similar to what’s going on in Philadelphia with Jahlil Okafor, just in reverse.

Okafor went from a team that dominated night and night out to a team that continues to find new ways to beat themselves. It’s surely a frustrating role to play, to say the least.

With Simmons, he could find himself going from a college team that didn’t have it’s eyes set on a title, have much of a winning attitude, or really try to elevate themselves as a team above their competition.

But that’ll be exactly what the Lakers are trying to do when or if Simmons joins the team.

It’s not all bad, though, which gives the die-hard fans some time to pause and breath a big sigh of relief.

More from LA Sports Hub

What at first looks like it could provide a major problem in Simmons’ NBA development could end up being what drives him to immediate success.

By the time he comes to fruition, both D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle will have some experience under their belt.

It’d be much worse if all three of them were trying to smooth out their game at the same time; it’d be something that would cause more chaos than the team needs or wants to deal with in the foreseeable future.

Also, you have to think about just how much it’ll mean to Simmons to have Jordan Clarkson alongside him in the process.

Next: Julius Randle Proving To Be Worth It

Drafting Simmons wouldn’t solve all of the Lakers’ problems, but it’d be a really good place to start if they want to see change anytime soon.

Home/Los Angeles Lakers