ESPN host Stephen A. Smith says Philadelphia 76ers All-Star Ben Simmons deserves a max contract despite his shooting issues. The Sixers are reportedly offering Simmons a five-year, $170 million max contract extension.
Simmons has yet to hit a 3-pointer in his NBA career and shoots just 58.3 percent from the free-throw line. Despite his lack of a jump shot, though, Smith believes the Sixers are making the right move by locking up the 2018 Rookie of the Year.
“I can say he is,” Smith said on ESPN's First Take. “The kid's gonna be 23 on July 20th. I have a problem with his ability to shoot. Period. Nothing else. He defends, he's long, his footwork, his passing and ball-handling skills…the brother is something special at 6-10. Without a shot he's doing all of this.”
This past season, Ben Simmons averaged 16.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 7.7 assists. The lefty shot 56.3 percent from the field, but all of those shots were in the paint or at the rim.
Simmons has attempted just 17 shots from beyond the arc in two seasons with the Sixers. The guard doesn't seem comfortable in shooting mid-range shots either. That's going to have to change if Philly wants to win the championship, something they could possibly do in 2019-20 after agreeing to a free agent deal with All-Star big man Al Horford.
