Ben Simmons’ Case for Early Season Defensive Player of the Year
After his lone season at LSU, Ben Simmons was touted as an unbelievable passer, rebounder, and creator. Scouts drooled at his ability to push the pace and his athleticism at the rim. But no one was talking about his defense.
In college, phrases such as “inconsistent motor” were commonplace when describing Simmons’ inconsistent and lackluster performance on the opposite end. And while Sixers fans and the media direct their focus towards Simmons’ jumpshot (or lack thereof) Coach Brett Brown continues to be in awe of his 23-year-old’s defense.
Last season, Simmons received two All-Defensive Second Team votes after averaging 1.5 steals and almost one block per game.
Last year, Simmons received two All-Defensive Second Team votes after averaging nearly a block per game and 1.5 steals, the latter of which has jumped to a league-leading 2.2 this season. When you take a look at the NBA odds listed at Sports Betting Dime and see that the Sixers are favorites this week against the Heat and also for Christmas day when they play the Bucks, that is due in large part to Simmons’ being factored in when bookies choose the point spread – how can you not when he starts all the time and averages 14.3 PPG – these are two teams crowding Philly at the top of the Eastern Conference, it’s fair to look at this as the result of Simmons’ continued improvement on D.
One thing that Coach Brown emphasizes and that General Manager Elton Brand took to heart in his creation of this roster is the fad of position-less basketball. In contrast to decades past, NBA players are not slotted rigidly into lineups, rather they are valued by simply the skills that they possess. Centers are now frequently three-point specialists and traditional forwards like Simmons, LeBron James, and Giannis Antetokounmpo have become quasi-point guards.
Few players fit this position-less model better than Simmons. At first glance, he is obviously untraditional as a 6’10” point guard. However, defensively, Simmons has proven to be one of the most versatile defenders in the league.
On a team in which every starter is at least 6’5,” Simmons has been called upon to guard smaller opponents at the beginning of games and switch off to larger players when Coach Brown goes small.
According to defensive models created by Krishna Narsu and Andrew Patton, Ben Simmons has registered at least 10% of his possessions on the floor guarding all five positions. His primary defensive opponent is shooting guards (~25% of possessions), but per Narsu and Patton’s versatility rating, Simmons ranks second in overall defensive versatility, only to Rondae Hollis-Jefferson of the Raptors.
And while versatility is tremendous on its own, Ben has shown the ability to not only guard all positions, but to guard them effectively. He has thrived covering the smaller guards of the NBA while easily being able to switch onto larger players as well when needed.
In the video below, Ben demonstrates his ability to defend smaller guards such as the Cavaliers Darius Garland. He then uses his long frame and patience to generate a block on Colin Sexton’s floater attempt.
Pick and roll defense has not been a strong suit of this year’s Sixers team, however, Simmons has clearly been the Sixers best in defending the pick and roll.
In addition to being a man to man force in the half court, Simmons has demonstrated incredible maturity in his transition defense. Later in the video above, Simmons takes his time after a Sixers turnover, strategically waiting for the Knicks R.J. Barrett to go up for layup. When he finally does, Simmons turns on the jets to pin the rookie’s layup attempt to the backboard
Simmons has been an instrumental part in the Sixers’ starting five, making up one of the top defensive units in the league. But what is even more encouraging about Simmons’ improvements on defense is simply that: that he has improved. No one doubts Simmons’ god-given basketball ability. What people do doubt is his ability to develop his game.
The growth that Sixers fans have witnessed from Simmons on the defensive end should be incredibly encouraging and if Ben can dedicate himself similarly to his jump shot, he has a chance to be one of the all-time greats.
Featured Video: Always Hoops Featured Image: @BenSimmons25
Discover more from Philadelphia Sports Nation
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Categorized:Sixers WegENT Blog