Ben Simmons' work ethic is on another level, says former coach

Just taking one look at Ben Simmons’ Instagram page is enough to show you how the 19-year-old’s pre-draft preparations are going. It looks more like a Rocky Balboa montage than basketball workouts.

Seriously, the kid is in insane shape and according to reports, the 19-year-old has added a whopping 10 kilograms of muscle to what looked like an already NBA ready 6-foot-10 inch, 240 pound frame.

There were plenty of questions about his work ethic in his sole season at LSU, which seem largely unfounded when you speak to those close to him and according to his high school coach Kevin Goorjian, that same work ethic is what’s going to separate him from the pack, now and when he gets into the league.

"That’s the beautiful thing about Ben,” Goorjian told 7Sport.com.au

“You don’t have to ask him to be in the gym or beg him to train. He’s there and ready to go. Everything with him is about not missing a day."

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Goorjian saw that same application at Box Hill Senior Secondary College in Melbourne when Simmons was just 14-years-old. At a school that is a relative athlete factory, producing over 70 college athletes and 26 AFL players - none of them came close to Simmons.

“When I had him in Year 9, I had never seen anything like this,” he said.

“With my brother Brian [former Australian Boomers coach], I’ve been fortunate enough to workout some great players, some great athletes over the years, but Ben is a real special player."

“That gym stuff, that weight workout. His season ended in March and he’s doing the work.”

Under the watchful eye of his agency, Klutch Sports Group, Simmons has surrounded himself with the best trainers, advisors and coaches, not to mention his long-time mentor, three-time NBA champion LeBron James, who has provided a guiding hand to the nuances of being a teenage NBA phenom. Not many would know better.

“He’s been fortunate to have had some time with LeBron to mentor him and help with that (transition)", Goorjian added. "His father’s the same and Ben will take the challenge, he’s just going to keep on working.

“Between LeBron and his father they’ve helped him make sure that work gets done.”

Goorjian has remained a close confidant with Simmons since his two-year stint coaching him and will accompany him and his family in New York at the draft (10am Friday AEST), where Simmons will almost certainly shake NBA Commissioner Adam Silver's hand as the first name he reads out.

That's when it will be time to really get to work.