Year after year, multiple sports outlets publish their ranking for the best players in the NBA. As you could imagine, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant, and LeBron James are often near the top of that list.
Even so, there’s always controversy regarding the order in which those players are ranked, as well as who comes up next. In reality, most rankings are subjective and made almost entirely on the basis of the eye test.
That’s why former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins was so livid when he saw this year’s ESPN rankings. The fact that Ben Simmons was ranked overRussell Westbrook was something he just couldn’t fathom.
Kendrick Perkins Can’t Believe ESPN Ranked Ben Simmons Over Russell Westbrook
“First of all, Cassidy, I wanna know who the hell are doing these rankings?” Perkins said on NBA on ESPN. “How could you watch last season and watch what Russell Westbrook did when the Washington Wizards were about 1500 games below 500 and Russell Westbrook averaging another triple-double [season], getting them to the postseason and then you have the audacity of putting Ben Simmons ahead of Russell Westbrook. This man keeps getting disrespected.And that’s no disrespect to Ben Simmons. I think he’s a great player. He just wasn’t good last year and Russell Westbrook was.”
Perkins has a valid point right there. Russell Westbrook has become the most overlooked, disrespected, and underrated superstar in the NBA, as people somehow think it’s normal for a player to average a triple-double.
Ben Simmons, on the other hand, was one of the best defenders in the league throughout the regular season and then cost his team a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals by getting completely exposed in the playoffs again.
Maybe, playing for the Los Angeles Lakers will finally get Westbrook the praise and recognition he’s due and that will show up in next year’s rankings.