Ben Simmons' Strong Statement on Defensive Player of the Year

Los Angeles Clippers guard Ben Simmons makes strong statement on Defensive Player of the Year pick

Mar 21, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Ben Simmons (25) steals the ball from Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) in the first half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

After a rough tenure in Brooklyn that brought plenty of criticism, Ben Simmons might have finally found a new home with the Los Angeles Clippers. Even though he doesn't look like the All-NBA talent he once was in Philadelphia, he's able to contribute to winning basketball with the Clippers.

Recently, Simmons spoke on numerous topics, such as pledging to play for Australia for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. In a recent interview with RG, Simmons sat down to talk about some of his Australian teammates, including one who he thinks should be in the conversation for a highly-coveted award.

Feb 28, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; LA Clippers guard Ben Simmons (25) shoots against Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Goodwin (30) during the second quarter at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images / Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images

“Dyson [Daniels]'s just been killing. He's been all over it — Defensive Player of the Year for me,” Simmons told RG. “It's hard not to give it to him. I think he's just everywhere. He has great hands, and he's really guarding everybody.”

While Daniels isn't even in the top two for odds to win the award, there's no denying the Atlanta Hawks guard has been a menace on the defensive end this year. Daniels leads the NBA in steals per game with 3.0, with several players tied for second place at 1.8. However, the Hawks haven't been a good enough team to where Daniels receives the recognition.

DYSON DANIELS HAS 194 STEALS - MORE THAN ANY PLAYER IN THE LAST 15 YEARS 🔐🔐

The league’s leader in steals breaks down some of his best from the season with Trey Phills! pic.twitter.com/prmiComQEb

— NBA (@NBA) March 22, 2025

Still just 22 years old, Daniels has a lot of room to grow and opportunities to win the award later down the line. And if Daniels and Simmons pair up for Australia in 2028, opposing teams will have a hard time scoring on them.

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