After news of the Ben Simmons-James Harden trade went down, Brooklyn Nets fans had one question: what are they going to do about Simmons? The former All-Star is a talented ball handler and arguably the best defender in the NBA. However, Simmons' inability and reluctance to shoot has haunted him since his Philadelphia days.
Speaking to reporters, Nets head coach Steve Nash said he isn't too worried about Simmons' shooting. Nash said that Ben's other abilities far outweigh his one limitation, via Fox Sports:
“Ben does a thousand things on the basketball court… Shooting is not one of them that I’m dying to see. He is an amazing basketball player and that’s without shooting the ball. There’s not really a conversation there.”
Nash adds that while the Nets would love for Simmons to get an outside shot, at the end of the day his defensive prowess and playmaking will be useful on the team:
“If he gets better at shooting, great, but he’s an All-Star basketball player. He has incredible potential to affect games with all the other things he does… to be honest, it’s not a huge concern.”
The entire Ben Simmons-Philadelphia debacle was the main headline during the offseason. With Harden growing more and more discontent in Brooklyn, both the Sixers and Nets found a way to trade their All-Stars and get better in the process.
The Nets gain some much-needed defensive help and ball handling from Simmons, who won't take away shots from Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Nonetheless, an improvement to his shooting stroke (his free-throw shooting, in particular) would be a welcome help for the team.
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