Los Angeles Lakers vs Philadelphia 76ers: 3 Players to watch on Thursday night
By Nick Ziegler
Ben Simmons
In the first matchup between these two teams, the performance of Ben Simmons might have flown under the radar a bit. Against the Lakers, Simmons nearly totaled a triple-double, as he finished with 18 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds.
Seeing Simmons hovering around a triple-double is nothing new, as he is averaging 18 points, 9.3 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game. Simmons is a matchup nightmare for pretty much every team in the NBA, as he is playing point guard at around 6’10”.
As the current favorite for the Rookie of the Year award, Simmons will certainly be looking to have another good game against the Lakers. With Kyle Kuzma being one of the top rookies in the Western Conference, Simmons will likely see this game as one against another potential Rookie of the Year candidate.
Recently, Simmons is still playing at a high level, as he hasn’t shown any signs of rookie fatigue yet. In his last five games, his averages are right there with his season totals. As shown against the Lakers earlier in the season, Simmons is certainly capable of having a big game. With this being a home game for the 76ers on TNT, expect to Simmons try to get the triple-double that he just missed earlier in the season.