A Couple Thoughts…
You win Rookie of the Year. What’s next?
Another season that represents a step in the right direction, that’s what.
For his sophomore follow-up, Ben Simmons – third in the NBA with 10
triple-doubles – once again delivered a well-rounded, dynamic stat line.
He averaged 16.9 points per game, imposing his will on the interior, and scoring
at a rate roughly 1.0 point higher per 36 minutes than he did his first season.
His production on the glass also experienced a slight uptick, with Simmons
grabbing 8.8 boards per game, and increasing both his offensive and defensive
rebounding percentage to 6.2 and 17.9, respectively.
Surrounded by a deeper cast of ball handlers, the All-Star still maintained
top-flight facilitating numbers too. He finished sixth in the league with 7.7
assists per game, and eighth overall (among players who logged 25-plus minutes
in 50-plus games) with a 34.1 assist percentage.
The way we saw it, Simmons showed personal growth on the court as well. The
farther along the season went, the more comfortable he seemed at asserting
himself in a leadership capacity.
But in our estimation, playoff defense was the area where the 22-year old made
the greatest strides in his second season.
A solid 102.7 individual postseason defensive rating aside, Simmons was asked in
the first round to go toe-to-toe with a bonafide scoring guard (Brooklyn’s
D’Angelo Russell), then in the second round he was put on arguably the best
player in the NBA (Toronto’s Kawhi Leonard).
Faced with these two challenging assignments, Simmons certainly held his own.
According to stats.nba.com Matchup Data, both Russell and Leonard shot worse
when guarded by the Australian.
In the bright, pressure-packed spotlight of the playoffs, Simmons put on full
display the type of defensive potential the Sixers believe could be his ticket
to an eventual Defensive Player of the Year bid.
During his end-of-season exit interview press conference, Simmons acknowledged
that despite his progress in Year 2, further refinement will be necessary for
his ascent to continue in Year 3. Given the promising body of work he’s already
put together in such a short period of time at such a young age, the note was an
encouraging one for him to hit heading into the summer.
A Big Number
Per Basketball – Reference, only three other players in NBA history – Magic
Johnson (once), Fat Lever (twice), and Russell Westbrook (three times) – have
ever finished with the points / rebounds / assists / steals split minimums that
Ben Simmons maintained during the 2018-19 regular season.
A Quote
“I just want to get better all around, become a better more efficient player,
and keep growing as a better player. There’s no one individual spot. I want to
work on everything, and continue to let my game grow.”
A Mixtape
First Australian NBA All-Star 3rd in NBA in Assists (610) 3rd in Triple-Doubles
(10) All of the 2018/19 @BenSimmons25 Mixtape pic.twitter.com/p0JSUHTNPr
Player: Ben Simmons
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