Ben Simmons expects a great deal of himself, and entering his first full season in the league with the Philadelphia 76ers, the Aussie phenom seeks to have his name mentioned alongside the cream of the crop in the entire Association, and not just his fellow rookies.
"My goal is to be the best in the league," he told ESPN's Niall Seewang. "I'm not worried about other rookies - I'm worried about the guys at the top, and that's where I want to be."
Selected first overall by Philadelphia in the 2016 draft, the Simmons had an unfortunate twist of fate when he broke his right foot during the team's final training camp scrimmage last September, costing him the entire 2016-17 campaign.
Since he didn't see the floor for a single game, the 21-year-old is eligible to take home Rookie of the Year honors this upcoming season, fighting for the award against the likes of Lonzo Ball, Jayson Tatum, and teammate Markelle Fultz.
Related: Ball, Simmons open as Vegas favorites for Rookie of the Year
Simmons was recently cleared to take part in full basketball activity. Having as much time off as he did, the LSU alumnus sees things crystal clear, knowing exactly what he needs to improve to reach the lofty goals he's set for himself.
"There was definitely (some advantages to having a year off). I've had a whole year to grow and learn and focus on what I need to focus on. I think that whole year has really helped me," Simmons said, adding how he needs to work on "learning the game, scoring, defence ... everything."
