Hayes: Ben Simmons, the King's chosen heir, speaks out

NEW YORK - Ben Simmons was five minutes early.

Usually, the imminent millionaires who gather for a mass press conference the day before the NBA draft stroll in right on time, if not a few ticks tardy. They're mostly teenagers, after all.

Ben Simmons isn't a typical teenager.

He was so early the NBA asked him to leave and come back later. He hovered outside the ballroom door, out of sight but unwilling to retreat. Sure enough, the league relented. The session started early.

Such is the power of royalty.

Simmons stands at the head of the draft lottery pool. One report indicated the Sixers already have told him they will take him first overall in tomorrow night's draft, but he claimed ignorance of their intentions. Assurances, to him, are unimportant.

Just 19, he is 6-10 and 240 pounds, much of it shoulders and biceps. He makes slim 18-year-old Brandon Ingram, the No. 2 prospect, look like a high schooler. Simmons has the speed, skills and instincts of a guard. Yes, these are the same descriptors used 13 years ago to describe LeBron James, that year's No. 1 pick. James happens to be Simmons' mentor.

James' guidance has prepared Simmons to be the No. 1 pick - prepared him for the spotlight in that Manhattan hotel on Wednesday and the stage at the Barclays Center on Thursday.

"I just hope I don't fall down," Simmons joked.

Simmons is much more balanced than James ever could have been. He is the son of a 13-year Australian pro. He was raised in Melbourne, which has modulated the sense of entitlement that afflicts many young American stars. He is represented by Rich Paul, the agent James created to represent himself. He has joined a stable that includes James' teammate Tristan Thompson and Wizards guard John Wall, a three-time All-Star and a one-and-done No. 1 pick in 2010.

Simmons already conducts himself with a measure of polish that James rarely achieves. His posture was erect; his diction, proper. He was composed and relaxed, had a crisp, succinct reply to every inquiry and deftly steered the conversation.

He was every bit a Prince, groomed to succeed a King.

As ever, heavy hangs the head that wears the crown. Like LeBron, Simmons has been discussed as much in terms of his shortcomings as his gifts. In his one college season at LSU, he averaged 19.2 points on 56 percent shooting, 11.8 rebounds and 2.0 steals.

However, Simmons' team at LSU was fractured and beset by injury and, with 19 wins, did not make the NCAA Tournament. He was auditioning for a trey-crazed league, but Simmons only took 3 three-pointers, and none in his last 20 games. He made as many threes in college as Shawn Bradley (one).

Questions arose:

Does he play hard? Does he want to win? Can he shoot?

"The people that put that out there - they don't know me," Simmons said.

Fortunately, Simmons had access to an expert when it comes to exaggerated criticism. No player as dominant as LeBron has ever been criticized as much as LeBron. Simmons and LeBron discussed this phenomenon as Simmons followed LeBron through the first three rounds of the NBA playoffs.

"Definitely," Simmons said. "That was pretty tough, at first. But I knew what I was getting into. I can't control what people put out there. Watching him, being around him, helps you understand what type of athlete and person and role model you have to be."

Besides his competitive drive and his jump shot, the most unsettling issue surrounding Simmons was the idea that he did not want to land in Philadelphia. Who could blame him? As a Sixer, he would play for a rebuilding team that was historically awful the past two seasons and just underwent a front-office overhaul. Both Jahlil Okafor and Kristaps Porzingis were said to have similar reservations last year, when the Sixers, then run by Sam Hinkie, were in full Tank Mode.

Simmons declined to work out for any NBA team until Tuesday, when he finally went through his paces in Philadelphia. He did not meet with the press afterward - the only prospect the Sixers hosted who did not talk after his workout.

Afterward, new general manager Bryan Colangelo admitted, "I think it was most important for us to kind of close the chapter on any doubt that Ben or Rich (Paul) would want to have Ben here in Philadelphia."

Well?

"That didn't come from me," Simmons said. "I think it came across a little different for them, because they weren't sure."

If Hinkie had remained in charge (he was demoted in December, and resigned in April), would Simmons have avoided the team?

"Definitely not," Simmons said. "There's only one No. 1 (pick) every year."

Like all dignitaries, Simmons plays along with corny antics and practices deference. After his workout Tuesday, he went to New York, where he dutifully consumed a cheesesteak on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon." Wednesday, when asked, he politely complimented the notorious Philadelphia fan base, a question for which he was clearly prepared.

He's big on preparation. Preparation and execution are two very different things.

Like James, who was painfully raw when drafted out of high school, Simmons is going No. 1 overall more for his potential than his polish. He says he's a much better player than he was when his college season ended. He says he gained 20 pounds, all muscle; he worked on his shooting and ballhandling; he ran defensive and conditioning drills.

Then again, Simmons hasn't played any games, so even he doesn't really know if he's all that much better. He does know that Wednesday was his NBA introduction. Thursday night will be his coronation - at least, as the NBA's new King in Training. He just wants to get on with it.

"This is my job. Why would I be nervous?" Simmons asked. "It will be a big relief."

The draft starts at 7 p.m.

Tune in at 6:55.

@inkstainedretch

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