Ben Simmons had a very productive rookie season, taking home the Rookie of the Year award in the process. Now, he’ll need to build on that in Year 2.
Philadelphia 76ers point forward Ben Simmons was a stellar performer in his first full season in the league. A lot of critics will say Simmons wasn’t a rookie in 2017-18 given his draft year, but it was his first time ever running an NBA offense.
It’s undeniable Simmons has playmaking ability after he took home the Rookie of the Year award over Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell. Now, there are bigger fish to fry in his quest to win an NBA championship.
The Sixers did well with Simmons as the point as he put up 38 double-doubles and 12 triple-doubles, which led all rookies in the league. With Joel Embiid, J.J. Redick and company around him, Philadelphia has bigger expectations in 2018-19, especially without LeBron James in the East. Simmons’ “Fresh Prince” moniker will certainly be put to the test this upcoming season.
Simmons certainly showed no signs of slowing down last year. It was his play during the postseason that exposed a few weaknesses in his game. He’ll have to show his development process is moving along, or the Philadelphia 76ers could find themselves at home early once again this upcoming postseason. Here’s a look at three goals for Ben Simmons for the 2018-19 season.