Sixers Roundup: Fellow Rookies Not Enamored with Ben Simmons
In a survey among fellow NBA rookies, Ben Simmons came in third in NBA.com's preseason Rookie of the Year vote.
Sixers’ rookie Ben Simmons finished third in Rookie of the Year voting in NBA.com’s annual rookie survey | Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
As we head closer to the start of training camp later this month season previews are starting to roll in, with a sense of optimism surrounding the Sixers that hasn’t been present in previous seasons.
That optimism is, of course, largely centered around the excitement generated by the expected debuts of Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, and Dario Saric. That sense of optimism isn’t necessarily shared by fellow members of the rookie class, however, as Simmons came in just third in Rookie of the Year voting in NBA.com’s annual rookie survey.
- Ben Simmons ranks 10th in merchandise sales since he was drafted by the 76ers in late July, according to a Fanatics.com report cited by the Philadelphia Inquirer. [Philly.com]
- Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer had a nice piece on finding the next Kent Bazemore, and one of the three players he highlighted as a potential breakout candidate is the Philadelphia 76ers own Robert Covington. [theringer.com]
- Shaun Powell wrote a Sixers preview for NBA.com. [NBA.com]
- Sean Mason wrote an article on the Sixers all-time starting 5: AI, Hal Greer, Dr. J, Charles Barkley, Moses Malone. [medium.com]
- Ben Simmons’ fellow rookies didn’t show a lot of love for the Australian. 38 rookies participated in the rookie survey, with Simmons coming in third in the preseason Rookie of the Year voting, receiving 19.4% of the vote behind Kris Dunn (29%) and Brandon Ingram (25.8%). He also came in a four-way tie for fourth in “who will have the best career”, receiving just 6.7% of the vote. Ingram (26.7%), Dunn (16.7%), and Buddy Hield (13.3%) finished ahead of him. [NBA.com].
- In workout news, Ben Simmons is out there training with LeBron James. Joel Embiid is crossing up Drew Hanlen.
- Podcasts: The Rights to Ricky Sanchez had talked with theoretical physicist Sean Carroll, and on The Sixers Beat we discussed what our biggest fears heading into the season are, and also built the ultimate team around Ben Simmons using The Ringer’s $15 “Beat the Warriors” game.
That will wrap it up for this week’s roundup.
Derek Bodner covers the 76ers for Philadelphia magazine’s Sixers Post. Follow @DerekBodnerNBA on Twitter.
