AUSSIE HARDCOURT PHENOM BEN SIMMONS UPCLOSE
en Simmons. Savior. This is the mindset of the Philadelphia fans as Ben Simmons has been as good as advertised!
After being drafted number one over-all in last year’s draft, the expectations were sky high, but after suffering a sprain in practice a month before the season started, he was declared out for the first few months when it was learned it was actually a fracture of the foot. Eventually, he sat out the entire season because the foot didn’t heal as soon as diagnosed.
After several frustrating seasons, being among the worst teams in the league, the 76ers are now excited about their chances of not just making the play-offs, but with Simmons as one of their cornerstones for the future, they now believe they can eventually contend for the crown. PHILIPPINE STAR: What went Simmons: “I try not to let people get in my head, say certain things or believe the hype. There’s a lot of work to be put in.” through your mind last year while you were trying to recover and as you prepared to get ready to finally play, it must’ve been tough?
BEN SIMMONS:
Yeah, it was tough. At the time, I was frustrated. I had my moments where it was just hard for me walking in every day and knowing I wasn’t going to step on the court. But for me, I just tried to take advantage of not
actually playing and just trying to learn as much as I could by watching the games, watching film, and then obviously taking care of my body. I feel like I’m at the stage now where I just want to take advantage of everything that I’ve put in and all the work I’ve put in now. I just want to take advantage of it every time I step on that court.
Is there anything you learned last year from not playing, that you could apply now that you are technically a rookie?
There was a ton of things. Just learning the game from the point where I could see the whole floor and not just be on the court and actually playing. It gave me an advantage coming into the season. I think that’s going to pay off a lot this upcoming season. But there’s going to be a lot of things that I learn just being on the floor, so there’s a bit of a difference there.
Your team likes playing at a fast pace, what’s your attitude when you get the ball in your hands and you’re running the point?
I just make sure I push the ball. If they give me a gap, that’s when I usually attack or try to make my own space going down the floor. But it just depends. Usually, if I get a bigger guy on me, I try to take him to the hole. I just know he can’t really catch up or keep up with me. Just picking the time that I want to attack and knowing when I should attack is definitely one of those things I look at.
With all the hype and comparisons with LeBron (James) and the other great players, how are you going to keep your feet on the ground? Honestly, for me, I just play. I have a lot to prove
just to myself where I can go. But I’m not worried about people trying to boost my head or anything like that. For me, I just play the game, and I want to win. I try not to let people get in my head, say certain things or believe the hype. There’s a lot of work to be put in. It’s going to take time, but I believe in myself and my teammates. Philly has a lot of young talents and personalities, how is the vibe?
The vibe is great. Everyone is competitive, but everyone has a great relationship and we’re like brothers. When we come in, we’re all talking. It’s a great locker room. It’s a great vibe to be in. No one is ever down. No one is holding each other back. But we’re all still holding each other accountable for mistakes. I think that’s one of the best things we have — everybody holds each other accountable.
There are a lot of elite point guards in the league today, what are the things you’re looking to take advantage of when you come up against those elite kind of guys?
My size and speed are the main things. But versatility, also. When you get a guard switched on to me, it’s tough to not post him up and then not get the ball in there. But at the same time, you’re playing guys who are All-Stars — Kyrie, John, and they’re great players. So I have a lot to learn from just watching them and how they play, which is great for me. But at the same time, I want to come out there with the same energy and confidence.
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