Even before he came into the league, analysts and NBA critics talked about Ben Simmons‘ jumper, or lack thereof. Considering he sat out his first season and took the league by storm this season, as good as he is, there are aspects of Simmons game that need improvement.
His shot is one of them and it has been exposed by the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals, by the way they have backed off him on defense and dared him to take a shot. This is problematic for Ben because the C’s have clogged lanes and spacing, making it harder for him to pass and create for his teammates.
Kobe Bryant was asked about this very topic on the Chris and Caron show on Fox Sports Radio and he had some advice for the red-shirt rookie:
“Just aesthetically I would say build that thing anew. I don’t think the game came down to that though.”
This will have to be an area that Simmons improves on over the next few seasons if he wants to become an elite all-around player.
While this season, his mid-range jumper and 3-point shooting will be a detriment to the Sixers advancing in the playoffs, it’s not something he can’t work on in the offseason and improve year-to-year. It will certainly help his playmaking abilities and natural athleticism by developing more of a game and not just rely on his strength and driving/passing to help the young Philly nucleus.
He can’t have any more 1-point ball playoff games if the 76ers want to be a force in the Eastern Conference for years to come.
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