Brett Brown praises Simmons, but says 76ers undecided about No. 1 pick

The Philadelphia 76ers' scorched-earth approach to rebuilding finally delivered them a No. 1 overall draft pick, and the team's brass wants to make sure they capitalize on this opportunity.

Sixers coach Brett Brown is enamored of LSU product Ben Simmons, but says the team is "still digging in" and gathering information about prospective draftees.

"The mock drafts obviously favor Brandon Ingram and Ben Simmons. We get that," Brown told ESPN Radio on Wednesday. "But we very much are still going through the process of trying to learn as much as we can. The responsibility of trying to get this right carries a lot of weight."

The choice obviously won't be Brown's alone to make, but one assumes he'll have a say, and it certainly sounds as though Simmons would be the pick if it were up to him.

"He's got a hint of Magic (Johnson), and at times you can see a younger LeBron (James), where you are not sure what position he is," Brown said. "One moment you think he is a four, maybe he is a three, he looks comfortable handling the ball.

"When you say, 'What is his identifiable elite NBA skill?' most people will go immediately to passing."

Brown spent nearly two decades in Australia, coaching three different NBL teams, as well as the Australian national team. He's well-acquainted with Simmons, a Melbourne native.

"I lived in the country for 17 years, I coached his dad for five years," Brown said. "I think it gives you better insight into what makes him kick."

Brown, a former San Antonio Spurs assistant, then dropped another flattering NBA comparison, though this one was based solely on Simmons' perceived shooting woes entering the draft.

"I'm aware of his junior coaches throughout Ben's entire life, and when you look at his form - no differently to when we drafted Kawhi Leonard with the Spurs - one of the assessments we had to make was, was this shot transferable to the NBA? Was it a total rebuild or was it a little bit of a makeover?

"I think that his form isn't one that you have to blow up and start over. I think it can translate."

The Sixers have just over a month to make up their minds.