2. Simmons has swag
Most star players just seem to have a certain quality that makes them stand out even when they are not playing. Call it flair, charisma, style or, the most modern slang — Swag.
Ben Simmons seems to ooze swag.
Of course, the first rule of being swag-worthy is dating a Kardashian. Ben took care of that requirement this summer.
It also helps to be pals of LeBron James, the swaggiest player in the NBA. Yup, Ben is buds with the King.
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Simmons also has sort of an air of mystery about him that people find intriguing. He rarely shows emotion but no one doubts the intensity behind the placid front. Teammate J.J. Redick might have phrased it best when he was quoted as saying:
"“He sits behind a glass wall and looks at everyone else on the other side.”"
Whining isn’t something the players with swag do, which eliminates Donovan Mitchell right off the bat.
Mitchell pretty much figured out that Simmons and his record-setting triple-doubles were his main obstacle to winning Rookie of the Year.
So he began giving Simmons some shade, particularly arguing he should not be eligible for the award. Simmons had missed what should have been his rookie year with a broken foot.
Since he had not played at all, he was still considered a rookie this past season. Some people agreed with Mitchell but when the votes were tallied, Simmons won in a landslide.
Players with swag also do not openly recruit players, not cool. Simmons has said he did not pressure his pal LeBron to come to the Sixers. Mitchell did not attempt to get James but did try and talk Paul George into joining him in Utah.
Tatum was in a different situation than Simmons or Mitchell. Until the playoffs, he was not a key part of his team, while the other two were acknowledged as one of the best players from the beginning.
On the Celtics, Gordon Hayward, Kyrie Irving and Al Horford were suppose to be the focus. When Irving and Hayward got hurt, Tatum stepped in and got stronger as the season went on. That’s good, but not swaggy.
One swag point in Tatum’s favor is a sense of humor. Boston general manager Danny Ainge has always maintained that if they had stayed at No. 1 in the 2017 draft, instead of moving down to No. 3 due to the Markelle Fultz trade, he would have still taken Tatum, who he selected with the third pick.
Rookies are paid on a wage scale, so the No. 1 picks makes more than No. 3. Tatum noted to Ainge, in a playful fashion: “Hey, you owe me some money’ .