Nets: Ben Simmons Needs to Pick the Pace to Meet Greatness Expectations

(Photo : Kavin Mistry/Getty Images) SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Ben Simmons (#10) of the Brooklyn Nets dribbles the ball up the court in the first quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center.

Ben Simmons of the Brooklyn Nets was once touted as a future NBA great. Unfortunately, his basketball journey has not gone according to plan.

One thing going for the three-time All-Star is that he is still young. He is only 27 years old and can still catch up to other young players who have managed to prove their worth in the pro ranks.

One name that comes to mind is fellow Australian Josh Giddey. The 20-year-old has undoubtedly become the new face of Australian basketball - something basketball junkies initially branded the 6-foot-10 Simmons, The Guardian noted.

Giddey has been a revelation for the Oklahoma City Thunder, practically contributing in all departments for his team.

His career stats alone tell the story. In the 130 games he has played, the 6-foot-8 forward has normed 14.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 6.3 assists, according to Basketball-Reference.

For his part, Simmons' career averages are not far behind. In 317 games, he averaged 14.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 7.5 assists.

Since leaving the Philadelphia 76ers, the top pick of the 2016 NBA Draft has yet to recall his old basketball form.

His initial games with the Nets are hardly impressive, although some may argue he struggled playing behind now-former NBA players Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

But now bunched up with young and rising stars, Simmons needs to pick up the pace and start to work his way toward greatness.

In an exclusive interview with this writer, American sportswriter and book author Roland Lazenby weighed in on Simmons. He admitted that the Australian has the tools to make it big. However, the veteran scribe pointed out that the former LSU Tiger may want to start by focusing on playing basketball.

"Simmons is a mystery to the American public. There are people who appreciate him, others do not. Injuries and mental issues associated with competing, those things are complicated. I think in Simmons' case, his skills... he does a lot of things well and he is a special kind of player. But American basketball is built on statistics. This has changed the game," the 71-year-old book author stated.