Ben Simmons of the Philadelphia 76ers has been given the go signal to resume full basketball activity. Simmons, 21, was unable to play a single game last season making him eligible to be voted as Rookie of the Year this coming season. He is tied with Los Angeles Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball on the odd makers’ books as top contenders for the award.
In a recent interview, the 2016 NBA Draft No.1 overall pick expressed his excitement of finally getting the green light to play in the NBA. Apart from launching the inaugural Ben Simmons Basketball Camp which targets to help kids age 10- to 18-year-olds, he revealed his most important goal -- becoming the best player in the NBA and not just compete for the Rookie of the Year award.
The best in the league
“I'm not worried about other rookies -- I'm worried about the guys at the top, and that's where I want to be,” Simmons told ESPN. He stressed in not just overcoming the odds of playing his first game, his first season in the league; instead, he has committed himself to becoming the best player in the league.
Simmons has a lot of reasons to worry -- Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Paul George and Giannis Antetokounmpo to name a few. And that’s just on the forward spot where Simmons is expected to play. There’s reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Russell Westbrook, two-time MVP Stephen Curry, and James Harden to beef up the competition.
His dream of becoming the best basketball player in the league remains questionable according to some basketball experts and analysts.
Yet some believes his other dream is somehow closer to reality -- bringing the Philadelphia 76ers back to the NBA Playoffs after five years of absence.
Young Sixers core
The Philadelphia 76ers will be led by two successive overall No. 1 draft picks -- Ben Simmons and Markell Fultz. But that’s not all -- they also got two No. 3 overall picks of the 2014 and 2015 NBA Drafts, Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor.
These four guys are expected to carry the torch for the rebuilding Sixers which have become the perennial cellar-dweller in the East. The main concern, however, is the health of their big men as they were hobbled by season-ending injuries.
After missing the first two seasons, Embiid has finally able to make his presence felt down the baseline.
Unfortunately after 31 games, was ruled out for the remainder of the season with a torn meniscus in his left knee though no surgery is needed. Meanwhile, Okafor was again unable to finish yet another season with problems on his right knee.
Playoff chances
However, even with the addition of the sweet-shooting veteran JJ Redick, ESPN projected a lowly 33.2 wins for the Philadelphia 76ers. While Simmons and Fultz are both No. 1 overall draft picks, they were projected as below-average players as rookies. Based on the projection, the Sixers are good for the 9th spot in the East.
This is just a projection and anything is possible. The below-average projections on the two untested rookies, especially for Simmons, are expected to sway things for the Sixers. It remains to be seen whether Simmons can lead the Sixers to the NBA Playoffs.
