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Philadelphia 76ers: The numbers prove Ben Simmons should be an All-Star

By Quinn Allen

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 3: Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers celebrates scoring with Robert Covington #33 in the first half against the San Antonio Spurs at Wells Fargo Center on January 3, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 3: Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers celebrates scoring with Robert Covington #33 in the first half against the San Antonio Spurs at Wells Fargo Center on January 3, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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Philadelphia 76ers rookie Ben Simmons has put up tremendous numbers, yet he has failed to be rewarded with an All-Star game appearance

There was a numerous amount of snubs for this year’s NBA All-Star game. Paul George and Goran Dragic were fortunate to hear their names called after both DeMarcus Cousins and Kevin Love went down with injuries earlier this week.

But for players like Chris Paul and Ben Simmons, who weren’t selected, it’s very disappointing.  Especially for Simmons. He is having a huge campaign, averaging 16.7 points per game which is second among all rookies. The only name that sits ahead of him in rookie scoring is Utah’s Donovan Mitchell.

But for Simmons, it’s not just because he is an elite scorer that he should be an All-Star. He’s been all around great player in all aspects this season.

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The rookie is also averaging 7.8 boards and 7.3 assists this season. He seldom shoots the 3-point shot, using his big athletic frame to get inside the paint. For a point guard, it’s rare to see a non-existent three-point shot. Shots from downtown are such a hot topic in today’s game, and I wouldn’t be surprised if that was taken into consideration when deciding if Simmons should have been selected or not.

Simmons finished sixth among all votes, actually finishing ahead of Goran Dragic who was awarded a reserve spot yesterday.

Dragic finished 13th among all voting. When it was announced that Kevin Love broke his hand, I thought for sure that Simmons would be getting the call to replace Love on Team Lebron in the East. If you compare Dragic and Simmons numbers across the board, Simmons has been much more impressive. Dragic is in his tenth NBA season.

Simmons is in his first. Dragic is averaging 17 points a game, but only 4.1 boards and 4.8 dimes per game. Simmons is averaging almost three more rebounds and assists than Dragic while practically scoring the same amount of points per game. The Australian is also shooting 52.8 percent from the field, while Dragic is shooting just 43.7 percent.

I understand that rookies seldom get selected for the All-Star game. The last one to actually be selected was Blake Griffin way back in 2011 when he averaged 22.5 points per game along with 8.8 boards and 3.8 assists. The numbers between Blake Griffin in 2011 and Ben Simmons in 2018 aren’t much different except for the points per game.

Simmons has been ripped off.

The fans gave Simmons the third most votes among all guards in the Eastern Conference. It’s clear that coaches and players didn’t believe a rookie should be an All-Star. There’s a thing called earning your stripes when you’re a rookie in any league. But Simmons has let the numbers speak for themselves this season, yet he hasn’t been rewarded.

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Although Simmons won’t be apart of the NBA All-Star game, you will be able to see the Aussie light it up in the Rising Stars game which features the most exciting rookies in the league. Hopefully the 21-year-old can win the Rising Stars game MVP and prove to the NBA and Adam Silver that they made a big mistake not selecting him for the All-Star game.

One thing is for sure though, you will see the name Ben Simmons in many All-Star games in the next coming years.