Ben Simmons remains the NBA’s odds-on favorite to win Rookie of the Year, and he would love to make good on that distinction.
But not for reasons you would assume.
Sure, he would no doubt enjoy the recognition and cachet that comes with earning the honor. Many Rookie of the Year winners go on to All-Star and All-NBA appearances. But Simmons also wants to take home the award as a nod, of sorts, to Joel Embiid and Dario Saric. As he said after the Philadelphia 76ers’ win over the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night, per the Bucks County Courier Times‘ Tom Moore:
Ben Simmons on Rookie of the Year: ‘It would mean a lot.’ Says would essentially be winning it for Embiid and Saric. #Sixers
— Tom Moore (@TomMoorePhilly) April 4, 2018
Aw, how freaking cute.
Also: how freaking cool.
Plenty of people thought Embiid deserved the award last year despite appearing in just 31 games. They had a point. He was clearly the best newbie on the floor when healthy. Hell, he was one of the best players, bar none. He was being talked about as a potential All-Star selection before suffering his season-ending injury. Malcolm Brogdon may have taken home the hardware, because sample size matters. Also, he was very good. But we all knew who the best rookie was at the time.
Simmons’ stance is, again, pretty awesome. It recognizes that both Embiid and Saric worked to establish the Sixers as a viable up-and-comer last year. Some love should be given to T.J. McConnell and Robert Covington on this front as well. Simmons, along with J.J. Redick, represents the finishing touch on what is now a playoff team, but many of his teammates laid the groundwork for what the Sixers are now.
To him, then, this isn’t necessarily an individual honor. Nor is it something that specifically pays homage to his first year. Rather, it’s a symbol for how far the Sixers have collectively come—and all the places they still have left to go.
