Ben Simmons has a plethora of skills and talents, but the one thing that has eluded him was having a mid-range jumper. This would completely change Simmon’s and the Sixers game if he were able to develop a shot as it would open up lanes for him to score in more ways and allow players like Joel Embiid or Tobias Harris to have more space as defenders would be more worried about Simmons as a scoring threat beyond 10 feet.
Simmons recently pulled out of playing in the FIBA World Cup for Team Australia in order to work on his game. This was a contentious decision because some fans thought that he should work on his jumper during that tournament, while others thought it was the right decision because he would be more focused working on his game with the Sixers players and staff and not only has a better chance at a jumper but a chance at building better chemistry with players like Tobias Harris, Al Horford, and Josh Richardson.
A week ago, Elton Brand came on confirmed that Simmons will have a jumper ready for the season. Brand would not have come on and say that on live radio without fully believing it. Like clockwork fans were treated with an encouraging sign as videos of Simmons making a three-pointer during a pickup game in LA as the clips went viral. The form looked promising, and his elbow was tucked in which is a promising sign that is leading fans to believe that jumper will be ready in the fall like Brand said.
Simmons is a confident player at just 23-years-old, and only has played two full seasons. The only flaw with him is that he doesn’t like to fail at anything which is a part of his perfectionist mantra. This creates an environment of pressure for him as Sixer fans and the media constantly harp on his one major flaw, and that is what is motivating him to work all summer on that part of his game.
The most realistic expectation is that Simmons shoots more mid-range jumpers and attempts some three-pointers. Don’t expect him to be a lights out scorer that shoots 40% from beyond the arc. Expect him to show progress which will change defenses approach and increase efficiency for the Sixers offense.
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