Ben Simmons missed all of last season with a broken foot, but the wait for his debut has been worth it for the Philadelphia 76ers.
The rookie is averaging 18.4 points, 9.1 rebounds and 7.7 assists through his first seven games. He has already recorded one triple-double, and his assist numbers are good for sixth in the entire league. In terms of just rookies, he ranks first in scoring, tied for first in assists and second in rebounds, behind only Lauri Markkanen of the Chicago Bulls.
Simmons is having a fantastic start to his NBA career, and looks to be a clear favorite for Rookie of the Year. Yet while everyone else is singing his praises, Simmons himself is not impressed. Before the Sixers' win over the Rockets on Monday, Simmons told reporters that he needs to pick it up. Via the Philadelphia Inquirer:
"I thought I'd be playing better, honestly," Simmons said. "I need to pick it up. It's awesome [being in the NBA]. I wouldn't want to do anything else. I love what I do. I'm just grateful to be here, just got to keep working."
Now, there are definitely things Simmons still needs to work on with his game. He's turning the ball over more than three times per game, and still doesn't have an outside shot to speak of. But what rookie doesn't have things to improve?
It's cool to see that Simmons wants to be an all-time great, and wants to put in the work to get there, but he's being a bit harsh on himself here. When you're not all that far away from averaging a triple-double in your rookie season, it's pretty hard to be playing better than that.
