First, let’s look at the measurements:
Simmons
|
Measurement
|
Ingram
|
Small Forward/Power Forward
|
Position
|
Small Forward
|
6’ 9”
|
Height
|
6’ 8”
|
240
|
Weight
|
196
|
7’ .25”
|
Wingspan
|
7’ 3”
|
9’ 0.5”
|
Standing Reach
|
9’ 1.5”
|
Both of these players have outstanding physical measurements. Simmons has the edge in height and weight, but Ingram’s height is still great for his position. Weighing in at only 196 pounds is a concern for Ingram however. The biggest knock on Ingram has been that he is too thin, and he will have to put on some serious weight in order to hang with the bigger small forwards in the league. Going small with Ingram at the four would probably not be an option for most teams until he gains some serious weight. Simmons is big enough and strong enough to come in and play the four day one if that’s what’s asked of him. Ingram’s length is fantastic. With the 7’ 3” wingspan, Ingram has the potential to be a nightmare on defense. Long arms are great for disrupting passing lanes and blocking shots. Ingram showed the value of those arms in college, averaging 1.1 steals and 1.4 blocks per game. This bodes well for his defensive potential in the NBA, as steals are normally a good indicator for defensive ability. I could see him averaging 1 steal and 1 block in the NBA, which is great for a small forward.
Both Ingram and Simmons were incredibly productive in college, especially for freshmen. Let’s take a look at the stats:
Simmons
|
Stat
|
Ingram
|
34.9
|
MPG
|
34.6
|
19.2
|
PPG
|
17.3
|
11.9
|
RPG
|
6.8
|
4.8
|
APG
|
2.0
|
2.0
|
Steals
|
1.1
|
.8
|
Blocks
|
1.4
|
56%
|
FG%
|
44.2%
|
67%
|
FT%
|
68.2%
|
33.3%
|
3PT%
|
41%
|
3.1
|
TOs
|
2.0
|
Simmons was asked to carry a much larger load of LSU’s offense, which is reflected in his stats. Simmons’ strength as a playmaker is also evident with his 4.8 assists. The biggest thing that pops out at you when looking at Ingram’s stats is his three point percentage. 41% from three would make him one of the best shooters in the league. Whoever ends up drafting him will be hoping that translates so that he can provide floor spacing and scoring immediately.
Scoring
Both of these players will be drafted with the expectation that they will help their team get buckets. And they both should get plenty of their own. However, they will be scoring in very different ways. Ben Simmons is at his best in the fast break. He is long, quick, and he can lead a fast break or just run the court. Is ability to score in transition can be seen here:
Simmons will be best on a team that is looking to get out and run so he can use his athleticism to get ahead of the defense and either score or distribute to his teammates. He does have a propensity to finish with his right hand when he should be using his left. This is something to keep an eye on as NBA defenders will be able to exploit that. He is a little more limited in the half-court, due to his deficiency as an outside shooter. However he is still able to take defenders off the dribble and finish at the rim with either hand. He draws a lot of fouls, averaging 9 FTAs per game. However, he only scored at a 55% rate inside the paint during half-court sets which is good, but not great. A major key for Simmons to find success in the NBA will be finding ways to be effective in the half court. He is not going to be able to rely solely on his ability in transition to score like he did in college. He’ll need to develop at least a mid range game and become more effective at taking defenders off the dribble.
Simmons has very little range and most of his points come from inside the paint. He does have a nice little variety of post moves that he uses to bully smaller defenders. His jump-shot mechanics look smooth and do show potential, but I’m going to wait and see how that translates to pro games before I call him a potential shooter. Here he is trading jumpers with Dejounte Murray:
Brandon Ingram proved to be an efficient scorer from three and when he was creating his own shot. 41% from three is a great number that really proves that his stroke is something a team can rely on. Ingram also showed that he is more than capable as a scorer in isolation, scoring almost 1 point per possession when he goes into isolation. This could be a great positive for him, as both teams in the top two need a go to scorer, someone who can you give the ball to and tell them to go get a bucket. Ingram put up his impressive offensive stats while being the primary playmaker on 44% of his possessions. He has the ability to create shots off the dribble, but he needs to work on his efficiency on those shots. His elite length allows him to be very effective in transition, but he also needs to improve his finishing ability. This will probably come as he adds muscle and weight to his frame.
Ingram’s jump-shot is silky smooth and that his probably his biggest selling point to teams. Check it out:
Both Simmons and Ingram should be able to carry their scoring from college over to the pros, especially if they land on the 76ers and the Lakers as they will both be asked to carry a significant load of the offense.
Passing
This part of Ben Simmons’ game could be what makes him a superstar at the next level. His ability to create shots for his teammates with his passing is what has lead to LeBron and Magic Johnson comparisons. Averaging almost 5 assists a game from a forward position (on an LSU team that wasn’t filled to the brim with great scorer too) is incredibly impressive and is a testament to one of Simmons’ best skills.
Here you can see his excellent court vision and ability to get the ball in exactly the right spot for his teammate to go right up and score before the defense can recover. Simmons excels in passing in both the half-court and on fast-breaks. As a primary ball handler, a think any team could expect Simmons to replicate his 5 assists per game average from college. He is a willing passer that should have ample opportunities to distribute the ball. This is one the areas where he has a clear advantage over Ingram. He could be a once-in-a-generation point forward with his combination of ball handling and passing.
Brandon Ingram’s passing ability is as lauded over as Simmons’ is, however Ingram is a willing and proficient distributor. He only averaged 2 assists per game in college, however he was not asked to be the primary ball handler/playmaker like Ben Simmons was for LSU. He has good court vision and his height helps him see openings that other players could miss. While Simmons has the edge over him in the passing category, Ingram projects to be an above average passer from the small forward position.
Rebounding
Ben Simmons is one of the best rebounding prospects to enter the draft in a long time. Averaging almost 12 boards a game while playing Forward and not center is a testament to his instincts, athleticism, and length that allows him to be an elite rebounder. Rebounding is one of the most important parts of his game, as many times he will grab a defensive rebound and either go coast-to-coast or he’ll start a fast-break and find an open teammate for an easy layup. In fact, according to Synergy Sports, 26% of his offensive possessions came from getting a rebound and starting the break.
Simmons has a good mix of length and strength that he uses to get rebounds, like on this possession. 
I do not expect Simmons’ rebounding number to be too close to his college numbers, mostly because he will be playing against bigger, stronger competition. And when you add in the fact that he probably be playing the three, there should be two other rebounders on the court at the same time as him. However, I’d expect around 6 rebounds a game which is still quite good for a forward in the NBA.
Brandon Ingram is no slouch when it comes to rebounding either. Averaging almost 7 boards a game is impressive for some of Ingram’s size and strength. He relies on his length a little too much to get rebounds, as opposed to being physical and boxing out like he does on this possession:
This will probably improve as he adds weight and gets stronger. Ingram also possesses very good instincts when it comes to seeing how the ball is going to come off the rim. His blend of elite length and quickness allowed him to get to rebounds quickly and grab them over many defenders. Ingram also has a great vertical as he is an explosive leaper. All of these combined to make him an above average rebounder which should translate to the NBA.
Simmons has another clear advantage in this category, but that is not a knock on Ingram. Simmons is just, to put it simply, really good at rebounding.
Defense
Both Ingram and Simmons seemed to not concern themselves with defense as much as they did with their offensive games. There are knocks on both of them for taking plays off and not putting in all the effort they could on that side of the court. This is a bigger problem for Simmons, as sometimes he looks clearly disinterested in playing defense. When he’s engaged, he can probably guard anyone on the court due to his great combination of athleticism, quickness, length, and strength. However, that was rare to see during his stint at LSU. If an NBA coach can get him to buy into a defensive scheme and work hard on both sides of the ball, he could be one of the best two-way players in the game. That will definitely take some work and a long time though.
Simmons displayed good instincts on the defensive end, evidenced by his phenomenal 2 steals a game. It is rare to see someone his size rack up that many steals. Here, he uses his long arms to work with a teammate in order to get a steal:
It is also a great thing for Simmons’ defensive potential in the NBA. One of the best indicators for defensive success translating from college to the NBA is steals. This is why you’ll often hear concerns over players that do not pick up enough steals. Steals show that a prospect has quick hands, good anticipation for where the ball is going, and a quick enough body to get to ball before anyone else. It will all be about effort for Simmons in the NBA. If he plays hard and is willing to work on defense he’ll be great. Otherwise he could turn into a liability.
Ingram relies on his length often to disrupt passing lanes and block shots. This is a great use of his massive wingspan and exactly what’d you want out of him. Where Ingram needs work is off-ball defense. He will occasionally fall asleep and lose his man on a simple backdoor court, something I like the to call “The James Harden.” Besides getting lost a few too many times, Ingram shows good instincts to block shots and get steals, something that I believe will translate to the league. Here, he anticipates the pass and uses his long, lanky arms to get in the passing lane:
He will also need to spend some time working on his defense before he will be considered a good pro defender, but he has the tools to be effective on both ends of the court.
So Who Should Go Number 1?
Both Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram are terrific prospects. They both project to be forces on the offensive end, with the potential to become good defenders as well. Both have some elite physical measurements that will help them succeed (Simmons’ 6’9” 240 lbs frame and Ingram’s 7’3” wingspan) but both also have some concerns (Ingram’s weight and Simmons’ lack of a jumper and attitude.). I believe that the uniqueness of what Ben Simmons brings to the table makes him the clear number one overall pick. The ability to create offense like a point guard, rebound like a power forward, and defend like an elite wing creates what will be one of the most unique players in the league. The Sixers are in need of playmaking and scoring, which Simmons will most certainly provide. They will probably need to trade one of Nerlens Noel or Jahlil Okafor to ease the logjam in the frontcourt, but that was probably going to have to happen anyway. The 76ers should be thrilled to have the chance to draft Ben Simmons and should be prepared to build their team around him for the next decade or two. The Los Angeles Lakers have a terrific consolation prize in Brandon Ingram however.
The two biggest concerns when it comes to Ben Simmons are his dismal shooting ability and the fact that he played like he just wasn’t interested at times. Whoever drafts him needs to get him to buy in and understand that you need to play hard for the whole game and on both ends of the court. If they can do that, they’ll have a superstar in the making.
Brandon Ingram is going to go to a situation where he can shine. He is most likely going to end up in Los Angeles, where he won’t have to be a primary ball handler or facilitator in his rookie year. He’ll be asked to provide floor spacing and shot creating, two of the things he’s best at.
Both the Sixers and the Lakers lucked out by winning the NBA lottery, and they will have two of the best prospects in the NBA for years to come.
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