The 2019-20 season will be a massive proving ground for Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons.
After losing out on re-signing Jimmy Butler, the Sixers executed a sign-and-trade with the Miami Heat to send Butler to South Beach. they then focused on locking up their stars. First came Tobias Harris, who re-signed with the Sixers on a five-year deal worth $180 million.
But the biggest bombshell was the extension that the Sixers handed to Simmons. The two sides agreed to a five-year, $170 max extension, which drew plenty of criticism around the league. Reporters and analysts wondered why the Sixers were dedicating $34 million a year to a point guard that attempted just six three-pointers last season.
However, Simmons has gone about revamping his shooting stroke this summer:
#76ers All-Star Ben Simmons told me today that he "fell in love with the game again" this summer and he's "comfortable" shooting jumpers. My @AP_Sports story: https://t.co/H0HiSo35j6 pic.twitter.com/StU7cfBJPB
— Rob Maaddi (@RobMaaddi) September 25, 2019
Sixers head coach Brett Brown also commented on Simmons' progress, telling Derek Bodner of The Athletic that he was proud of the time and effort that Simmons had put into his jumper:
“The time that he has invested over the course of this summer is the best, by a long shot, that he ever has,” Brown continued. “He’s prideful. He gets it. His confidence that I saw when he came back to Philadelphia and played in our gym over the past few weeks just stood out. It’s shown that he had invested time and he was looking forward to showing us.”
Philadelphia will hand the keys over to Simmons now that Butler has departed from the City of Brotherly Love. The Sixers retained Mike Scott and added Josh Richardson as part of the Butler sign-and-trade, but they also lost sharpshooter J.J. Redick.
Simmons has a long way to go before he can successfully assuage the fear of Sixers fans, but his work ethic is something to be applauded, at the very least.
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