Ben Simmons’ latest comments apparently raised some eyebrows — Donovan Mitchell’s included.
The Philadelphia 76ers forward took a page out of LeBron James’ book this weekend by boldly declaring himself the favorite to win the 2018 NBA Rookie of the Year award.
“Who would I pick? Me, 100 percent,” Simmons told ESPN’s Chris Haynes on Saturday. ” …Â If you look at the numbers, you will see. People who know the game know.”
Simmons does appear to be the front-runner — he’s averaging 16.0 points per contest while leading all NBA rookies in both rebounds (8.1) and assists (8.2) per game –but the Utah Jazz’s Mitchell also makes a compelling case, while Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum has been strong, too.
When asked which other rookies have caught his attention this season, though, Simmons gave a surprisingly blunt answer.
“None,” he replied. “I want to be where the greats are. So, for me, I watch the guys like (Kevin Durant), (LeBron James), (Stephen) Curry, Russell (Westbrook). Guys like that.”
We get where Simmons is coming from: The greats all have unwavering confidence, so why not aim high? But the 21-year-old’s comments still opened him for ridicule.
Shortly after Simmons’ boast went public, Mitchell posted a GIF on Twitter that could be about anything but totally was related to the Sixers forward’s comments.
Obviously, Mitchell doesn’t share Simmons’ views here. The Louisville product’s 20.5 points per game are tops among NBA rookies, so he certainly has a point.
