Simmons: 'People who know the game know' I should win ROY

There's no debate about who should win Rookie of the Year in the mind of Philadelphia 76ers point forward Ben Simmons.

"Who would I pick? Me, 100 percent," Simmons told ESPN's Chris Haynes. "I think I have been playing solid all year. If you look at the numbers, you will see. People who know the game know."

Simmons is enjoying a phenomenal freshman campaign, averaging 16 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 8.2 assists while shooting 54.7 percent from the field and snagging 1.7 steals and 0.8 blocks per game. He's been a game-changing force on both ends of the floor, and he led the Sixers to their first 50-win season since 2001.

That being said, he faces stiff competition in what looks to be a stacked draft class. Donovan Mitchell is averaging 20.5 points per game and led the Utah Jazz to the playoffs, while Jayson Tatum has been a reliable secondary scorer for the banged-up Boston Celtics.

Mitchell, for one, clearly didn't agree with Simmons' comments, as he posted the following tweet shortly after his quotes were published.

Simmons' on-court impact and boxscore numbers eclipse both Mitchell's and Tatum's, but some have knocked the Aussie for having the advantage of redshirting last season while recovering from a broken foot. He dismissed that idea.

"Coming off a broken foot is definitely not an edge, but people are always going to say what they want to say. But at the end of the day, this is my first year in the league."