Anthony Davis is the Best Defensive Player This Year, Feels Ben Simmons

During a video game stream on Wednesday night, Ben Simmons shifted his attention to the NBA. While playing Call of Duty, Simmons started talking about the candidates for the Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY). The 23-year old felt that Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony Davis is a top defender.

Ben Simmons says Anthony Davis is better than Rudy Gobert

Simmons felt that Rudy Gobert, a two-time defensive player, was not as good as Davis in defending positions other than their usual ones.

“I look at AD and I think he’s a better defender than Gobert because he can defend guards at times. …  Look, I play ball, I’m looking at guys who can guard 1 through 5, man.  You can’t say you’re one of the best defenders if you’re not guarding every position,” Simmons said.

Among others, Simmons had Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kawhi Leonard as contenders for the DPOY. He felt that Leonard’s performances in the playoffs give him the edge over the reigning MVP.

“You’d put Giannis over Kawhi? You’ve never played Kawhi in the playoffs, then,” he said while also including his teammate Joel Embiid among the top defenders in the league.

Ben Simmons felt LeBron James is a better defender than James HHarden

Very few would disagree that James Harden and to an extent, LeBron James do not put as much in their defence. While both among the top players offensively, their defensive contributions aren’t usually up to the mark.

While talking about defenders, Simmons gave James an advantage over Harden although he did not include either of them in the contenders for DPOY.

“Yo, here’s the one thing I’ve got something to say. Everyone talks on James’ D, but he can play D. I don’t think y’all understand how strong that dude is. He’s a strong guy. A lot of people listen to analytics and stuff, it makes no sense. Analytically? You can’t always look at numbers, man.”