It's been an tumultuous season... Somewhere, along the horizon, 76ers fans crowd alongside each other like a pack of murderous crows. Seeking solace, they warm themselves with whispers of, "rookie of the year, ROOKIE OF THE YEAR, ROOKIEE OF THE YEAR!!" As if to prove the point that Simmons is better than Tatum...
So who do you choose?
Personally? I like Tatum's personality, and his silent but killer assassin-like ego. I loved his 1 on 1 battle against Embiid in the Hanlen's workout video, where he proclaimed, "4-1 is all I know." And the stare down on LeBron after he famously dunked and chest bumped him.
But I also love how dangerous Simmons can be in the offense. If he could ever improve his shooting form, (which seems like Julius Randle's sadly...) then he would be the perfect fit for Steven's system. His unbelievable mobility and height along with his precise court vision seems like the modern day Draymond Green.
I would choose Tatum still, but I would trade anyone not named Kyrie or Tatum for Simmons.
I voted Tatum. IMHO, there’s only so far these “who’s better” debates get you, though. And they’re both very good at basketball.
After I voted I checked ESPN’s Real Plus/Minus. No one stat gives you a judgment on a player, but I pay attention to that one because it’s looking at the whole contribution that a player makes, including all the stuff that we don’t know how to quantify- not just assists or shooting or whatever.
Here’s what I found:
Tatum was 33rd in the league, with a composite of +2.92 points per possession.
Simmons was 35th in the league, with a composite of +2.89 points per possession.
The difference, in other words, was statistical noise.