With the news that star center Joel Embiid would miss extended time with a finger injury, the Philadelphia 76ers knew that Ben Simmons would need to step up. The team’s other franchise cornerstone did just that, and he has been rewarded for his efforts with an Eastern Conference Player of the Week award.
In the past week, Simmons averaged 21.3 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 7.3 assists while leading the Sixers to a 3-1 record and their current three-game winning streak.
Interestingly, it was the second week in a row that the award was won by a Sixer, as Josh Richardson claimed the honor last week.
Ben Simmons has been named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week. Simmons averaged 21.3 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 7.3 assists on his way to winning the award. #Sixers
— Ky Carlin (@Ky_Carlin) January 20, 2020
In addition to his strong statistical performance and the resulting team success, Simmons showed an increase in aggressiveness in the absence of Embiid while still making an incredible impact on the defensive end of the floor.
It’s certainly some well-deserved recognition for Simmons who has done a great job of stepping up as the Sixers await the return of Embiid. [lawrence-related id=23388,23195,23859,23743,23688]