Reggie Miller just explained to everybody how you should measure the impact of a player on any team in the NBA. The Indiana Pacers legend was great during his career and now that he’s an analyst, he’s keeping the same energy. Yes, Miller can make some controversial statements, too, like his current MVP ladder but there is no doubt that this man knows the game and he doesn’t hesitate to share his knowledge with the world.
After the Philadelphia 76ers took down the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night, the sharpshooter had big praise for Ben Simmons and what he does on the court for his team. The 55-year-old said that most people will see the 1-7 line and say that he had a bad game and didn’t help his team, but Miller went beyond that and explained what he actually did that doesn’t appear on the stat sheets.
“Now the casual fan, will pick up the box score and say ‘you know what? Ben Simmons, he only scored 7 points.’ No, my friend. Ben Simmons created 41 points tonight, assisted on 34 points, 10 3-pointers. That’s how active he’s been tonight, don’t look at the 1-7, look at all the contributions he’s made to his team.”
Simmons is one of the most underappreciated players in the NBA right now, as it seems like people are always waiting for their chance to bash him. Recently, a Washington Wizards broadcaster called him overrated, joining the thousands of people who believed the same about the Australian player.
Back in February, Joel Embiid defended him from fans criticizing him, explaining the same thing Miller explained. His impact on the team won’t always be reflected on the stats; he can bring a lot to the table and the Sixers are extremely happy with that.
