Sometimes, it feels as if Ben Simmons is the forgotten member of the Philadelphia 76ers’ vaunted “Big 5.” Despite being named to his first All-Star team this year and winning Rookie of the Year last year in a tight race with Donovan Mitchell, the Sixers phenom is not the flashy fan favorite that Joel Embiid is, nor is he one of the team’s huge acquisitions this season via trade – Tobias Harris and Jimmy Butler. Beyond that, J.J. Redick’s inimitable shooting style makes him a fairly recognizable part of this core as well.
However, it is Simmons who tends to expend the most energy on defense and settle down his team in its most trying of circumstances.
On Wednesday night against the Boston Celtics, Simmons produced yet another understated – but incredible – stat line: 13 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, three steals, two blocks, and a +12 on/off rating in a whopping 42 minutes played.
Most of the highlights surrounding this game will be focused on either Embiid (37 points, 22 rebounds) or Butler (22 points, game-clinching jumper), but Simmons also produced an amazing defensive highlight against Marcus Morris.
At the start of this play, Morris uses his heft to try and bury Simmons under the basket. While that technically worked, Morris forgot that Simmons is a stunning vertical athlete with long arms, so Simmons was able to send that shot zooming back to the court in a hurry.
The 76ers won the game, and, in this instance, Simmons definitely won his matchup.
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