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Dec 23, 2020; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons (25) controls the ball against Washington Wizards guard Russell Westbrook (4) during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
USA Today via Reuters
Dec 23, 2020; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons (25) controls the ball against Washington Wizards guard Russell Westbrook (4) during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
The 2021 off-season is proving to be more intense than ever. Ranging from the sensational Russell Westbrook acquisition, to the Ben Simmons exit saga, things have been frantic. In the midst of all the craze, top NBA analyst and columnist Skip Bayless has made a bold comparison between Westbrook and Simmons. Contrary to what many may have expected, the 69-year-old has backed Simmons in this debate.
While 25-year-old Ben Simmons has only recently begun his journey in the NBA, Russell Westbrook is more of a veteran. The 32-year-old from California has played for as many as four franchises, and is a certified Oklahoma City Thunder legend. However, Bayless thinks otherwise. After all the recent talks surrounding the duo, he decided to compare the pairing in an interview. Though he believes that the new Lakers recruit is good, he has rated Simmons over the guard.
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May 26, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons (25) reacts after dunking the ball against the Washington Wizards during the first quarter of game two in the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Skip Bayless on what makes Ben Simmons better than Russell Westbrook
Although his form has deteriorated over time, Westbrook has averaged 23.2 points in his career. He also averages 7.4 rebounds, which is impeccable. Meanwhile, Simmons has amassed 15.9 points on average, but contributes more on other fronts that are not featured on the stats sheets. The first question that arises is, is it fair to even compare these two versatile competitors? Skip Bayless definitely had a lot to say.
Ben Simmons 1 spot ahead of Russ in latest rankings:
“Westbrook has always been supremely overrated as a winning basketball player. It’s why KD finally couldn’t take it anymore. Ben Simmons has always been subtly underrated as a winning basketball player.” — @RealSkipBayless pic.twitter.com/Ci5Ad29ZR2
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) September 23, 2021
“[Russell] Westbrook has always been supremely overrated as a winning basketball player,” laid out Bayless on the ‘Undisputed’ podcast. “It’s why KD [Durant] finally couldn’t take it anymore.” Simmons, who had an underwhelming outing in 2020-21, is set to follow in Westbrook’s footsteps of finding a new destination in the league. “Ben Simmons has always been subtly underrated as a winning basketball player,” continued Skip. He firmly asserted that the young Simmons is criminally under-appreciated, unlike his counterpart.
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May 26, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Washington Wizards guard Russell Westbrook (4) argues a call with referee Jacyn Goble (68) during the fourth quarter of game two against the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Do you agree with the Simmons vs Westbrook assessment of the mastermind Skip Bayless? Irrespective of past performances, it will be great if both players can strike the right chords in the upcoming edition of the league.
