Some league executives around the NBA think Sixers point forward Ben Simmons isn’t serious about improvement since he hasn't developed a jump shot yet, according to Tom Haberstroh of NBC Sports.
Simmons won Rookie of the Year in 2017-18 and made the All-Star team this season. The Sixers have made the playoffs two-straight seasons and Simmons has established himself as a lethal downhill force.
However, his lack of perimeter shooting sometimes makes Simmons a liability in the half-court. Execs are puzzled as to why Simmons didn't work on his jump shot last summer.
Article Continues BelowIt’s also true that he took zero shots outside of 12 feet this entire postseason, per Basketball-Reference. He took eight such shots last postseason. It’s not that he doesn’t have a reliable jump shot. It’s so raw that he hasn’t had the confidence to even try on the playoff stage.
For some league executives across in the NBA, this is not just a flaw in his game; it’s a sign that he isn’t serious about improvement. This was the one thing that he had to work on this past summer, the one skill he lacked in the sport. How can someone be so talented and yet so limited in this vital area of the game?
During the regular season, Simmons averaged 16.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game for the Sixers, who won 51 games. The lefty shot 56.3 percent from the field, doing all of his damage at the rim.
Simmons attempted 960 shots this season. 629 of those shots came at the rim and only 19 of those were from 16 feet to the 3-point line.