Is It Time to Panic about Ben Simmons?
All summer long, it seemed as though this coming season was going to be a breakout one for Sixers’ All-Star Ben Simmons. Of course, in just his two NBA seasons, he had already proven himself to be one of the premier NBA players.
The Sixers did not draft him to be just an All-Star; they drafted him to be a legend.
And the only way he can attain that legendary status is by rounding out his game and growing. Sixers fans everywhere followed closely on Twitter and Instagram as videos of Ben shooting deep threes spread across the web. Simmons himself even released a personal account of his summer on YouTube in which fans get a glimpse into what an NBA offseason looks like.
But through the first six games of this young season, Ben has not exactly shown us those areas of growth that were so anticipated by fans everywhere. While the season is young, Ben has had ample opportunity already to show growth and really has not done so.
Obviously, the jump shot was a major concern this summer. In order for this Sixers team to reach its full potential, Ben must help space the floor, especially for Joel Embiid in the post.
Although time and again he has said he feels comfortable in his jump shot, we have yet to see him take one this season. Ben has not logged a three-point shot attempt after nailing one in the preseason and, by NBA.com’s definition, he has not even taken a mid-range shot. 65 of his 77 shots (84.4%) taken have been from inside the paint and while it is a much smaller sample size, last season his paint percentage was only 78.7%.
Last year, Simmons shot 56% from the field. Again, albeit with much smaller sample size, he is only shooting 49% so far this season.
In addition to the shooting, another area in which Ben was expected to improve was in the turnover game. Last year, he was able to lower his turnovers per game from 4.4 his rookie season to 3.5 per game, a significant improvement. However this year, he has turned the ball over four or more times in every game but one.
This carelessness with the ball is something that, for his first two years, was widely attributed to youth. While this still may be a valid excuse, Ben is now in his third playing season and, eventually, one would hope age would not be a factor in his play.
A final area in which Ben has not progressed is in transition. No 6’10” player has Ben’s speed and agility, especially around the rim, but for some reason, he continues to drive, stop around the foul line, and pass the ball out instead of taking on a singular defender at the rim. He just does not seem to have the killer instinct that he needs to be the player Coach Brown knows he can be.
With regard to his offensive game, it often appears as though Ben is not completely sure what his skill set is. At times, he looks extremely aggressive, like in the season opener against the Celtics, and then he shows flashes of being very passive, such as in the Sixers only loss against the Suns. In that game, with Joel Embiid out of the lineup due to suspension, he still only attempted eight shots. This is inexcusable for a player who has All-NBA potential. Ben needs to step up and recognize that this team can only win a championship if he is aggressive every single night.
The real question at this point, however, is when should fans start to worry about Simmons’ play. The NBA season is very young and Ben seems to have a new level of mental maturity, so it is likely he does take steps forward in the coming games.
When Simmons does not perform against the league’s best teams, fans should begin to be concerned. The Sixers have not been hugely tested by perennial playoff teams yet and so now is not the time for panic with Ben.
Sixers fans should be hyper-aware of his play in the coming weeks. This organization has invested so much into him and being an All-Star is simply not enough.
Featured Image: PhillyVoice
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