Ben Simmons is playing like an elite defender

James Lang-USA TODAY Sports For much of Ben Simmons’ career, the conversation surrounding him has involved his offensive growth — or lack thereof. It’s largely been justifiable, as Simmons still doesn’t shoot from the perimeter consistently, has only made marginal improvements as a ball-handler and doesn’t dominate as a finisher like he should at 6-foot-10. However, this discourse fails to acknowledge the other size of the ball, where he’s in the midst of a valuable evolution, though one that’s less easily discernible than simply shooting beyond the arc.

On the aggregate during his NBA career, Simmons’ defensive impact has outpaced his offensive one and it’s also where he holds the most…