“He’s bigger, younger and can defend” NBA Analyst details why he would choose Ben Simmons over former MVP
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Ben Simmons Brian Windhorst Russell Westbrook
Russell Westbrook and Ben Simmons have both been nominated to ESPN’s list of the top 100 NBA players as 2022-23 training camp approaches. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar is ranked #65, while the new Brooklyn Nets defender is placed #76. NBA Insider Brian Windhorst agreed that the rating was correct, but he had an intriguing view on the duo.
He said, ”I’m surprised Ben Simmons is ranked this high after last year because of how much of a disaster last year was not only off the court but his injury but if you’re asking me who I’d rather have (between Simmons and Westbrook), I’d rather have Ben Simmons. Number 1 he’s younger, Number 2 he’s bigger, Number 3 he defends and I need a high-level defender to win at the highest level.” All three of the arguments given by the ESPN senior writer for selecting Ben Simmons over Russell Westbrook have large “TBDs” hanging over them. The former Philadelphia 76ers standout hasn’t played since his terrible 2021 playoff matchup against the Atlanta Hawks.
Can Ben Simmons and Russell Westbrook make their performance impactful this season?
Last season Ben Simmons faced a multitude of both on and off-court issues such as mental health , injuries to name a few out of which his back problem was the most significant which didn’t allow him to play and as a result missed out on most of the season . Since then he has had a significant back surgery and is once again fit to play , however the question remains whether he has recovered from the shock of the Hawks’ heartbreaking playoff series defeat.
Meanwhile, Russell Westbrook suffered his worst season in almost a decade after being forced to play a position he had never played before. The former MVP still put up respectable statistics, but his influence was certainly not what the Los Angeles Lakers had hoped for. Windhorst, on the other hand, admitted that availability is sometimes the best ability: “I know that Russ is gonna be there. He plays through everything, he plays hard and I certainly do respect that.”
Last season, the Brooklyn Nets and the Los Angeles Lakers were two of the favourites to win the NBA title. Brooklyn was swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Boston Celtics, while Los Angeles failed not even qualify for the play-in tournament. Both clubs will need Ben Simmons and Russell Westbrook to contribute heavily if they are to improve on their embarrassing campaigns from last season.
Simmons’ playmaking and passing should flourish with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Seth Curry, Joe Harris, and Patty Mills in the lineup. On the defensive end, his size, length, and versatility will be critical to the Brooklyn Nets’ defensive schemes. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers hired Darvin Ham as their new head coach in order to get the best out of Russell Westbrook. Last season, “Mr. Triple Double” refused to make an effect off the ball, but he has promised to be more accountable this time.
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