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Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown won't raise the bar high when it comes to the expectation to see Ben Simmons shooting jumpers anytime soon. The helmsman noted he must first see the Sixers star actually be willing to take them before he discusses how many he will make:
“The time that he has invested over the course of this summer is the best — by a long shot — that he ever has,” said Brown, stressing that Simmons is aware of the hoopla surrounding his jump shot. “When you talk about his shot improving, I feel he's invested the time… My judgment is going to be just the willingness to shoot… he's invested the time to shoot the shot better than he has.”
#Sixers coach Brett Brown on Ben Simmons’ jumper and the time the point guard has invested this summer working on it: pic.twitter.com/Fti7HoWT9K
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) September 25, 2019
As Hall of Famer Magic Johnson put it last week, the key to Simmons thriving as a shooter hinges on his willingness to shoot — to miss shots and still have the confidence to shoot them again and again until he gets in a groove.
It's tough to speak on Simmons as a shooter simply for one reason — he's not one. Shooters shoot, and Ben Simmons has been as reluctant to shoot a jumper as any other player, attempting only 17 jumpers from distance through the course of his entire two-year career in the league.
He even regressed with his aggression, as he attempted 11 3s in his rookie season and only six in 2018-19. Simmons must understand that he has to fail first before he gets to succeed and that the change won't happen overnight. The confidence, however, can carry on from game to game as he starts getting more comfortable taking and eventually making those shots on a regular basis.
