Ben Simmons is, in many ways, the NBA Rorshach test. How someone evaluates him my say more about that person than it does Simmons himself. In a city who is easily polarized by unique players, Simmons extends that notion nationwide.
His die hard fans will point to his historical pace of triple double games. His detractors will point to his limited perimeter range. His fans will point to his power and speed in the full court and in transition. His critics will point to his limitations in the half court and at the free throw line.
The truth, of course, lies in partially in both camps. But one thing is undeniable, Ben Simmons is an NBA All-Star in 2019.
Full 76ers Press Release:
FIRST CAREER ALL-STAR SELECTION FOR SIMMONS
PHILADELPHIA — JAN. 31, 2019 — The NBA announced today that Ben Simmons of the Philadelphia 76ers was named an Eastern Conference reserve for the 2019 All-Star Game in Charlotte, North Carolina. It’s Simmons’ first career All-Star selection as he becomes the 32nd 76er to be named to an All-Star Game in franchise history.
Simmons will join teammate Joel Embiid as an Eastern Conference All-Star this season. The two become the first pair of 76er teammates selected to an All-Star Game since Hall of Famers Allen Iverson and Dikembe Mutombo were both selected in 2002.
This season, Simmons is averaging 16.7 points, 9.5 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game while shooting .569 percent from the field. He ranks third in the NBA in assists per game and 13th in field-goal percentage, making him the only player in the league to rank in the top 15 in both categories.
The Australia native has recorded eight triple-doubles this season, good for first in the Eastern Conference and tied with Denver’s Nikola Jokić for second in the NBA behind only Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook. Simmons recently notched his 20th career triple-double in his 129th NBA game; the only player ever to reach the mark faster is Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson, who did so in just 45 appearances.
Last week on Jan. 23, Simmons posted 21 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high-tying 15 assists in a 122-120 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. Just 12 days prior, he tallied 23 points, 10 rebounds and 15 assists against the Atlanta Hawks. Simmons is one of four players with multiple games of at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and 15 assists, joining All-Stars Bradley Beal (two), James Harden (two) and Westbrook (four).
The Louisiana State product holds career averages of 16.1 points, 8.6 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game and was named the 2017-18 Kia Rookie of the Year last season.
The Eastern and Western Conference reserves for the 68th NBA All-Star Game were revealed tonight on TNT. Eastern Conference captain Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Bucks and Western Conference captain LeBron James of the Lakers will pick the final teams for the 2019 All-Star Game on TNT in a special NBA All-Star Draft Show on Thursday, Feb. 7 at 7 p.m. ET. The captains will draft the eight remaining players from the starter pool in the First Round and then all 14 players from the reserve pool in the Second Round, making selections without regard to a player’s conference affiliation or position.
The 2019 NBA All-Star Game will take place on Sunday, Feb. 17 at 8 p.m. ET at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. TNT and ESPN Radio will air the game live in the United States. NBA All-Star 2019 will reach fans in more than 200 countries and territories in more than 40 languages.
The 14 reserves were chosen by the NBA’s 30 head coaches. The coaches voted for seven players in their respective conferences – two guards, three frontcourt players and two additional players at either position group. They were not permitted to vote for players from their own team.
