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Even if you don’t believe that he has the best case to win the award, you have to respect Ben Simmons’ honesty when it comes to the 2020-21 Defensive Player of the Year race.
In a recent interview with ESPN’s Rachel Nichols, the 76ers star was asked whether he agreed with Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers’ comments about Simmons being a “lock” for Defensive Player of the Year. Rivers argued that Simmons is unique in that he can cover every position and “literally at times swallows players.”
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Simmons told Nichols that he agrees “100 percent” with that sentiment and deserves to be crowned the best defensive player in the league. He also threw in a dig at Jazz center Rudy Gobert, a two-time Defensive Player of the Year who will likely be at the top of many ballots when the votes are counted.
“I’m one of those guys who can guard one through five,” Simmons said. “Obviously, there’s a lot of respect for Rudy. I know what he’s capable of. I know he’s great down there in the paint. But he’s not guarding everybody, and that’s just what it is. He guarded me in Utah. I had 42. And apparently I’m not a scorer.
“So, it is what it is. But I have a lot of respect for him at the same time. I think it’s mine this year.”
The Defensive Player of the Year debate shouldn’t be boiled down to just versatility, but Simmons makes a fair point. Gobert is not nearly as switchable as Simmons, and opposing teams have targeted him on the perimeter in the past. However, as Simmons noted, Gobert is one of the best rim protectors in NBA history, and he is among the league leaders in multiple defensive categories.
Both Simmons and Gobert are members of top-five defensive units, and they are huge parts of why their teams have found great success. This should remain a tight battle down the final stretch of the regular season, so the campaigning efforts may have only just begun.
You can watch Nichols’ full interview with Simmons below. (The Defensive Player of the Year talk begins around the 4:15 mark.)
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