Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons is one of the more unique stars in the game. He is a guy who will continue to do his thing and make an impact without scoring a ton of points on the floor, but it seems that he is taking some steps forward as a leader in the 2020-21 season.
While his offensive numbers have continued to not impress anybody and he continues to befuddle some with his lack of offensive efficiency at the basket, he continues to have a big impact. He is one of the elite defenders in the game and he has taken on some of the biggest challenges in the league.
Veteran Dwight Howard has seen Simmons grow in a lot of important areas. He compared Simmons to LeBron James before training camp started and he has seen him grow both on the floor and off of it.
“I’ve seen him grow in both areas,” said Howard. “As far as leadership on the court, being more vocal. Actually being more, I would say, real ultra-aggressive, especially on the court. He really believes in his defense and his skills and locking up guys so just seeing him progress as a player on that end.”
Another thing that Howard wanted Simmons to do this season was to spend more time with All-Star teammate Joel Embiid. Howard saw James and Anthony Davis build a strong bond with the Los Angeles Lakers and it helped them win the title in 2020. Simmons is building that bond with Embiid and the rest of the roster as well.
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“Off the court, just him being more vocal,” Howard explained. “Him and Jo spending more time together and talking to you know everybody on the team. Telling guys where they should be on the offense and just little things like inviting guys out, having dinner, stuff like that. I’ve seen them grow in a lot of areas and we’re very proud of him.”
Considering that Simmons is just 24-years old, he is a guy who could just hang out at home or with his own friends. Instead, he has continued to step forward as a leader and get his teammates involved.
“At a very young age is, it’s pretty tough,” the veteran big man finished. “You could be 24/25 and be like ‘You know what? I’m just gonna kick it by myself and my friends’, but Ben has really opened up his home to everyone. We’ve had a great season so far and we’re really proud of his growth and his success.”
The Sixers will continue their road trip on Friday when they take on the New Orleans Pelicans at 8 p.m. EDT.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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