Ben Simmons answers questions during an interview after being selected as the number one pick overall by the Philadelphia 76ers during the NBA basketball draft, Thursday, June 23, 2016, in New York. AP PHOTO
Philadelphia trusted the process and finally got the prize it heavily coveted.
The 76ers tabbed Ben Simmons as the first overall pick of the 2016 NBA Draft and the Australian sensation expressed his excitement to turn things around in the City of Brotherly Love.
READ: NBA Draft 2016: Ben Simmons is 76ers’ No. 1 pick
“I’m relieved and happy to be part of this organization,” he said through Cisco Telepresence on Friday. “I think I can make an impact.”
Simmons brings a lot of hope to Philadelphia, whose franchise has suffered at the bottom of the Eastern Conference for the last three seasons.
Standing at 6-foot-10, the freshman out of LSU provides the 76ers a versatile weapon who can bring the ball down as well as play inside the paint.
“I’ll be a point forward guy, someone who can set plays up for my teammates. You put me in any situation and I’ll make the most of it,” said the 19-year-old.
Simmons will be joining a young and promising roster in Philadelphia as he pairs up with Jahlil Okafor, Nerlens Noel, and Joel Okafor upfront this season.
“I think we have a lot of talent, a very young team so going to a team like this, we have a lot of work to do and a lot of chemistry to build. I’m very excited being a part of the team and I’m looking forward on joining them,” he said.
What added to Simmons’ excitement in being a part of the 76ers is head coach Brett Brown, who was the coach of his dad David before with the Melbourne Tigers in Australia.
“I’ve known coach Brett my whole life since I was a baby, so having that relationship there is huge knowing he’s a great person and a great coach,” he said.
But Simmons knows that it’s not all fun and games as his entry signals the shift of mentality in Philadelphia.
“It will be a lot of work and everyone has to be on board, but we’re a young team and I’m looking forward on getting there,” he said. IDL