76ers star Ben Simmons is one of the best young players in basketball, thanks to his playmaking, court vision, and unstoppable inside scoring ability.
But perhaps the best aspect of his game is his defense, which has quickly developed into one of the NBA’s best. As calls for Simmons to win DPOY continue, his teammate, Joel Embiid, made sure to remind everyone that this guy deserves some recognition.
“That’s something he wants so much, and he deserves it,” Embiid stated, via Derek Bodner of The Athletic. “He deserves to be Defensive Player of the Year.”
Joel Embiid on Ben Simmons: "That's something he wants so much, and he deserves it. He deserves to be Defensive Player of the Year."
— Derek Bodner (@DerekBodnerNBA) April 17, 2021
As usual, there are a number of candidates in consideration for DPOY. From Rudy Gobert to Myles Turner and Giannis Antetokounpo, the race is full of deserving players.
But Simmons may have the best case of all of them. Not only are his Sixers the first in the conference, but they are also among the top two defensive teams in the league.
This season, he’s averaging 14.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, 7.1 assists, and 1.6 steals per game on 54% shooting. Philly is 39-17 through the first 56 games.
