The New Fresh Prince of Bel-Air?
If you’ve been following the NBA lately it’s pretty noticeable that there’s a new king in Philadelphia. And he’s most definitely here to stay. Ben Simmons is leading the 76ers into the sunset that is the NBA Playoffs as the 3-seed, and is the leading candidate for Rookie of The Year. Not to mention the team is also on a 14 game win streak. The kid can flat out ball. He leads the rookie class in assists, rebounds, and steals, and also has 36 triple doubles this season, which is the new current record for rookies.
It’s arguable to say that Ben Simmons is impacting the city of Philadelphia almost, if not more, than Allen Iverson did in his rookie season. The 76ers who were still considered to be going through “The Process” by many, superseded the expectations of many this year. Just recently they downed LeBron James and the Cavaliers in a game that the King had 44 points, 11 boards, and 11 assists. This game was a statement win for Philly, as the Cavs are only a single seed below the Sixers and the NBA playoffs are less than a week from commencing. Shortly after the game, LeBron basically named him the Fresh Prince in an Instagram post, probably assuming that meaning King James’ reign comes to an end, it will be Ben Simmons who will be the best player in the NBA.
With Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, and Markelle Fultz running the Eastern Conference and touching the hearts of all fans in Philadelphia, don’t be surprised if they make an appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals or the NBA Championship. Their lack of veteran leadership may be a turnoff to NBA spectators, but they are riding a HUGE wave right now, as well as Philadelphia as a whole. The Eagles won their first Super Bowl in February and Villanova won the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship (the 2nd time in 3 years). 2018 seems to be Philly’s year and they have been proving doubters wrong. So if the 76ers make a deep run into the playoffs, it may be shocking, but it certainly shouldn't be too big of a surprise given the city’s recent success.
And if the 76ers make it far in this year’s playoffs, don’t rule out LeBron coming to town. In a recent report, the King has made his final choices in who to consider joining in this year’s free agency period, those teams being the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers, San Antonio Spurs, Cleveland Cavaliers, and none other than the Philadelphia 76ers. If the King decides to complete “the process” in the City of Brotherly Love, the NBA will have a new dynasty for years to come.