At the end of the 2019-2020 season, the general consensus amongst Sixers fans was that Ben Simmons had been “snubbed” in the NBA’s “Defensive Player of the Year” voting. Simmons finished the year leading the league in steals per game and had established himself as arguably the best on-ball defender in all of basketball.
It was frustrating for fans to watch Giannis win the award instead – and it must’ve been even more frustrating for Simmons (especially considering the fact that his season ultimately ended due to injury).
Heading into 2021, and Simmons has wasted little time throwing his name right back into the DPOY conversation.