Wade 'definitely' sees similarities between Simmons and LeBron
Dwyane Wade sees what everybody else sees.
It's blasphemous to anoint anyone as the next coming of LeBron James, especially since James is still dominating in his 15th season, but he's the closest comparison for how Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons plays.
Both No. 1 picks are hyperathletic power forwards with the ability to play point guard. They can both bulldoze defenders just as easily as they can dribble past and either get their own shot, or set up others. Both players fill the boxscore on a nightly basis, and they even share the same agent.
"Yeah, look at the stat line," Wade told Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, in regard to the similarities between Simmons and James. "A guy that does multiple things on the floor. A big guard, exciting. So definitely."
Simmons is actually posting better all-around numbers than James did in his rookie season. However, given that LeBron entered the league straight out of high school, whereas Simmons was a one-and-done who redshirted his first NBA season, the Cavs superstar comes out well ahead when comparing their numbers at the same age.
| Statistic | Simmons (age 21) | James (age 19) | James (age 21) |
|---|---|---|---|
| PPG | 18.5 | 20.9 | 31.4 |
| RPG | 9.1 | 5.5 | 7.0 |
| APG | 7.7 | 5.9 | 6.6 |
| SPG | 2.1 | 1.6 | 1.6 |
| BPG | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.8 |
| PER | 20.9 | 18.3 | 28.1 |
James brushed off the comparison, not because he doesn't see the similarities, but because he wants Simmons to have his own space to grow into his own player, not only as someone tethered to LeBron.
"That’s for you guys (in the media)," James told ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "You guys do that comparison stuff. I think Ben is his own makeup of speed, power, quickness, competitive basketball, and being able have a feel for the game. You know, Ben is Ben. And I am who I am. And so on and so on. So you guys kind of do that comparison stuff."