Heading into his first full season in the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers, there are questions surrounding Ben Simmons' outside shooting touch.
According to Derek Bodner of The Athletic, the 21-year-old has notably struggled with his shooting in the preseason.
So far this preseason, 10 of Simmons' 15 made field goals have come in the restricted area, and he's shooting just 5-19 (26.3%) away from the rim. He's attempted just two field goals outside of the paint, and both came within a foot or two of it. Those hoping Simmons was going to be a willing shooter have certainly been underwhelmed so far.
This is one of the key aspects of his game that was an area of concern after his lone season at LSU. If Simmons hopes to become a high-impact offensive player, his shooting will be something where he will have to show consistency. He has shown the ability to get to the rim off the dribble and playmake for others, which only further emphasizes the importance of his outside shooting.
That said, his early struggles with his shot show that it is certainly work-in-progress and something that he will continue to improve on as he gets further along in his career. If Simmons' shooting woes persist into the regular season, opposing teams will look to challenge him to take those shots as part of the defensive game plan against him.
Ultimately, once he develops more consistency with his outside shooting ability, this will lead to a higher usage rate in that area of the floor and allow him to be a bigger offensive threat.
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