Sixers' Ben Simmons Congratulates Jazz's Rudy Gobert for Winning DPOY

Sixers guard Ben Simmons said it all year long that he believed he was worthy of winning the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year award. Being that he's an elite perimeter defender in a league where three-point shooting is utilized more than ever, Simmons forced his way into the DPOY conversation over the last couple of seasons.

In addition to being an elite perimeter defender, Simmons also prides himself on being versatile. Not only can he keep up with the league's best guards, but he'll also switch positions at the drop of a hat and guard one through five.

Simmons nearly earned DPOY honors this season. For the first time in his career, he was mentioned as a top-three finalist alongside Utah Jazz big man Rudy Gobert and Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green.

Being that Simmons was just a finalist in the race, surrounded by two former DPOY winners, the young guard avoided getting excited about his chances. While he's confident in himself, Simmons didn't want to prematurely celebrate just to be named a runner-up. In hindsight, he made the right move.

Although Simmons received a notable amount of votes, he lost out on the award to Gobert, who picked up his third DPOY nod this year. He campaigned for himself so much this season that many believed Simmons would feel slighted by the situation. However, the three-time All-Star kept it classy, shrugged it off, and focused his attention on something bigger.

“Congrats to Rudy," Simmons said after Friday night's Game 2 victory over the Atlanta Hawks. "It is what it is. I’m not really concerned about individual awards." Similar to his teammate Joel Embiid, who was also a runner-up for a major award, Simmons made it clear he's not stressing over individual awards. Instead, he's focused on the big prize.

"I want the championship, so that’s my goal," he continued. "The goal was never Defensive Player of the Year. It was just to go out there and do my job and try to be the best defender in the league regardless of the awards. The ultimate goal is a championship. I still got to do my job at a high level.”

Simmons and the Sixers still have a long way to go before achieving their main goal, but they're on the right path so far. With a Game 3 victory over the Hawks, the 76ers took a 2-1 lead over Atlanta on Friday and will look to get even closer to clinching a spot in the Conference Finals with a Game 4 matchup on Monday.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_ & Instagram: @JGrassoNBA.