To be one of the best defenders in the league, you have to be able to do all of the little things all over the floor. For Philadelphia 76ers point guard Ben Simmons, he’s doing just that for his team on the defensive end of the floor.
Simmons, whose stated goal was to be the best defender on the team, is in the top 5 in both deflections and in loose balls recovered. Those two stats aren’t the most eye-popping when measuring a good defender, but they are two of the most important in the grand scheme of things.
He ranks second in deflections with 100 just behind New Orleans Pelicans point guard Jrue Holiday who has 119.
Deflections Totals through Week 8:
1. @Jrue_Holiday11, @PelicansNBA: 119
2. @BenSimmons25, @sixers: 100
3. @KrisDunn3, @chicagobulls: 99
4. @JimmyButler, @MiamiHEAT: 87
5. @JHarden13, @HoustonRockets: 85— NBA.com/Stats (@nbastats) December 17, 2019
He also ranks second in loose balls recovered with 54 as he is just one behind Houston Rockets forward P.J. Tucker.
Loose Balls Recovered Totals through Week 8:
1. P.J. Tucker, @HoustonRockets: 55
2. @BenSimmons25, @sixers: 54
3. @T_Rozzay3, @hornets: 53
4. @AntDavis23, @Lakers: 45
5. @JimmyButler, @MiamiHEAT: 42
5. @JHarden13, @HoustonRockets: 42— NBA.com/Stats (@nbastats) December 17, 2019
Simmons’ ability to make all of the hustle plays as well as average 2.1 steals per game puts average him squarely in the best defender conversation. He also has been able to switch between defending multiple positions on the floor so that will add fuel to his argument as well. [lawrence-related id=21485,21475,21466]