We Should be Grateful for Ben Simmons
This week I had to write up a Thank You article to Ben Simmons just in case he got traded in the blockbuster James Harden deal. Writing that article felt surreal and it nearly brought a tear to my eye. Ben Simmons, along with Embiid and Hinkie, was one of the early faces of the Process. The #1 overall pick in 2016 brought a sense of hope to the 76ers organization after years of embarrassment and misery.
In 2021, Ben Simmons already has 30 career triple-doubles, he’s a 2x All-Star, All-NBA Third Team, DPOTY Candidate, All NBA First Team Defense, NBA Steals Leader, and NBA Rookie of the Year. All of these accomplishments at the age of 24 years old. But yet, all I ever see is critique and hate from Sixer fans and fans across the league.
Ben Simmons recently joined Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, and Nikola Jokic as the fourth player in NBA history with 30 or more triple-doubles before turning 25. Against the Heat, Simmons recorded 10 points, 12 assists, 10 rebounds, and 3 steals in 34 minutes of action. 9 of his 12 assists were 3’s and all 3 of his steals led to 7 points. Despite Simmons only scoring 10 points, he accounted for 50 points altogether. Simmons’s value on the court is so much greater than the number of points he scores. He runs the offense, guards the opponent’s best player every night, and makes his teammates better. It’s no coincidence that both Seth Curry and J.J. Redick are having/had career highs when playing with Ben Simmons. #25’s value can not be determined based on the number of points he scores.
Simmons game can indeed be very frustrating at times. His performance on Monday was flat out unacceptable. Scoring isn’t everything for him, but when the team is shorthanded, he needs to score more than 5 points. But I’m constantly seeing way too much Ben Simmons hate from fans on Twitter. I saw a fan tweet “Is Ben Simmons a bust?” Someone really typed that out and hit send.
Last year, Simmons played the best basketball of his career down the stretch before getting injured. It may take him some time to get back to that point. We should be grateful for Ben Simmons. He is the cornerstone of this team. He’s the glue. This team is undefeated so far when their starters play. The #1 reason for that is Joel Embiid. The #2 reason is that Ben Simmons makes Tobias Harris better, he makes Seth Curry better, and he makes Danny Green better. Instead of focusing on what Simmons can’t do, let’s emphasize what he can do. We are lucky to have #25.
