It starts with a mistake.
If turning the ball over is a cardinal sin, then the ensuing chase down block is like being absolved by the pope.
For only averaging less than half a block per game, Jonathon Simmons’ ability to stealthily cover the length of the court and inhale an attempted layup or dunk from the opposition has garnered national media attention.
Granted, Simmons doesn’t have the chase down block resume of LeBron James, but both have the ability to single-handedly shift the environment around them.
Most will point to Simmons’ block on Steph Curry earlier this season as the moment he became a sultan of swats, but it may be the block Simmons laid on the King himself last season that sparked his rim protecting potential.