As the first pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, Ben Simmons came into the league carrying enormous expectations. Four years later, and people are still trying to decide if he has met those expectations or not.
On offense, it’s clear Simmons has room for improvement. On defense, though, he has emerged as one of the best in the league. In a recent interview, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers compared Simmons defensively to Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman.
“He is such a unique defender,” said Rivers. “Most of the great defenders guard their position and they do a great job there. Ben is a chameleon.”
Dennis Rodman is crazy in a defensive way, as a player, they’re completely different players, but Dennis would often guard 1 through 5.
They would just throw him on whoever had it going so I guess you can go that far back. Scottie Pippen is in that category as well so there’s very few people. I’m happy that people finally started to notice it. That’s nice to hear.”
Doc Rivers compared Ben Simmons to Dennis Rodman and Scottie Pippen defensively. He called Simmons a "chameleon" for his ability to guard all five positions.
Simmons, who was All-Defensive First Team last season, recently said, "I feel like I'm the best defender in the NBA." pic.twitter.com/UIXznBc3it
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) February 13, 2021
While drawing Simmons in the same breath as Scottie Pippen might be a bit premature, there is no arguing his effectiveness on that end of the floor. He is a pest to his opponents and often gets assigned to guard the team’s best player. At 6-11, 240 pounds, he can defend virtually any position.
Of course, the true mark of Simmons’ talent will be how far he leads his Sixers in the playoffs this year. After two straight seasons of underwhelming finishes, it will be up to Ben to ensure his team finally takes a step forward in the East.
We’ll see if he and his super-powered defense is enough to get them there.
