Ben Simmons reveals if he's going to be shooting threes this season for the Brooklyn Nets
Ben Simmons
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Ben Simmons's lack of shooting ability despite being one of the most talented and versatile players in the NBA made the former #1 pick a target of a lot of ridicule, especially from his former fan base in Philadelphia. But maybe a fresh start in Brooklyn will be the turning point in Simmons taking the next step in his game.
No off-season grind
Ben Simmons has been in the NBA for six years, but he has only played in four seasons. In those short four years, Simmons managed to display why he was the #1 pick. The Rookie of the Year, 3 All-Star selections, 2 All-Defensive nods, and even one All-NBA selection in that kind of time are pretty impressive.
From elite vision, slashing ability, defensive ability, and mobility for his size, Simmons is the complete package. Of course, if you ignore the shooting. This won't be such big of a deal if the shooting hasn't become so vital in modern basketball, along with Simmons not even having the courage to pull up from anywhere outside the key.
The lack of a mid-range or three-point shot mixed with an inconsistent free throw proved to be detrimental in the postseason and showed a barrier for Simmons or any team he leads to be a championship contender.
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When you combine all the games in those four seasons, including pre-season and everything, Simmons attempted 34 three-pointers while making only 5, resulting in a whopping 14,7%. When you mix into the 59,7% free-throw percentage, you get the picture.
The fact there hasn't been any improvement through the years obviously frustrates people, as the untapped potential Simmons has will never be exposed to the max until he gets enough courage to at least let put those shots up.
Leveling up?
In an interview with former teammate, JJ Redick, Simmons got asked straight up if h would be shooting three-pointers the following season, and Ben didn't hesitate.
"Yeah, I need to. I need to just go out there and put some up.. Kevin(Durant) is wide open. Nope. (Be careful what you wish for.) Exactly!"
Ben Simmons, The Old Man and the Three
It seems like Simmons has finally realized that he will never improve if he doesn't bring up his attempts. Even if he isn't entirely at peace with his jumper, Ben will have to fire here and there to keep the defense honest and potentially get his confidence going.
But Simmons also started joking around, saying he will shoot all the time and not share the ball with KD, to sarcastically take a shot at all the people that want him to just fire away. Honestly, just seeing him shoot even one attempt per game would be refreshing to see, as Simmons, in his prime ability with any kind of jumper, could push the Nets back into the top of the NBA.
