With his Hall of Fame induction behind him, TNT analyst Shaquille O'Neal has quickly turned his attention to the upcoming NBA season.
While O'Neal knows this year's rookie class hasn't received the same recognition as previous years, the LSU legend does have his eyes set on one incoming freshman from his alma mater.
"I don’t know all of them, but I know my guy’s going to be pretty good, Ben Simmons," O’Neal told Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly.com.
While Simmons' shooting and aggression will need to improve, he's already an elite-level passer at his size - a skill that's garnered comparisons to one of the game's greatest players.
"He's a LeBron-type player," O'Neal said. "What I mean by that, LeBron does a nice job of making everybody else around him better - passing the ball, doing the small things - and Ben is that type of player."
Arguably the biggest criticism Simmons received during his lone year in Louisiana was his tendency to disappear in big moments - a habit O'Neal expects the 20-year-old phenom to break as his game continues to grow.
"He took a lot of flack, especially at LSU with not really taking over games," O'Neal said. "But he's young. He'll get to that. When it comes to other aspects of the game, he's very, very intelligent. He plays the game very well."
Simmons is scheduled for his NBA debut Oct. 26 against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
