Let’s Pump the Brakes on Sixers’ Ben Simmons
The spirits and optimism of basketball fans throughout Philadelphia are at an all-time high. However, there may be a reason to believe that fans may be getting just a little carried away when it comes to one player in particular.
Ben Simmons and his jump shot seem to be the ultimate talk of the town after he was finally able to hit his first career three-pointer.
On Monday, October 8th, the fans, and players alike celebrated throughout the Wells Fargo Center as if the Sixers just won Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Simmons and coach Brett Brown, however, played this moment off as if it was no rare feat. This offseason, even contained a series of summer workout videos that made their way throughout Sixers’ twitter, immediately sparking reactions of confidence in the All-Star point guard.
While Simmons has hit several jump shots throughout his three preseason appearances, it may be time to pump the brakes just a bit on our overall expectations from him this season. While three preseason games is admittedly a small sample size, Ben’s willingness to shoot the three has not reappeared. The one triple that Simmons attempted this preseason came at the end of the half, as he dribbled out the clock. An isolation three-pointer, while the clock is expiring, is not exactly the shot that Sixers’ fans have been clamoring for several years now.
Ben needs to be willing to shoot the three within the flow of the offense when the opportunities present themselves. This is something he has not been willing to do in the past, and as we approach the regular season, the shots have still not come.
The man knows all of the right things to say:
This week in a media scrum, Ben came out and admitted: “I’m confident in saying that I am not a great shooter.” Also stating, “I lack something that I’m not as great at, but in other areas, I’m very great at. I run the floor as well as anybody. I’m physical. I can rebound the ball. At 6-10, I’m a point guard. I can guard one through five. But, that’s one thing that’s coming into my game, which I’m excited about. I love getting better. I love spending time in the gym and building that confidence.”
Ben knows what he is lacking and appears to be willing to put the time in to improve this aspect of his game.
Throughout the preseason, Ben looks like his normal dominant self in regards to driving and penetration. He is facilitating the ball throughout the offensive end of the court with ease and precision. I also believe Simmons will be one of the top-5 players in the NBA this year defensively. However, the jury is still out on whether his offensive game will be able to transform into even the average spot-up shooter that we fans have imaginatively envisioned.
Until Ben Simmons shows some form of confidence or willingness to shoot a three within the natural flow of the offense, I am still firmly in the camp of “I need to see it to believe it”.
Featured Image: Liberty Ballers / Dave Early
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Categorized:Sixers