To the surprise of no one, Philadelphia 76ers point-man Ben Simmons was officially named the 2018 NBA Rookie of the Year at the league’s annual awards show on Monday. And so the year-long battle between he and Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell has finally come to an end.
Somewhat unexpected, though, was Simmons’ margin of victory. In a word, it was massive — he captured 90 first-place votes to Mitchell’s 11. That probably feels like a major slight to the Jazz fans that went to bat for him throughout the season on social media.