Hall of Famer Julius Erving wasn't among the legends to give up hope on Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons, who had hyped the development of his jump shot, only to be just as reluctant to shoot the ball as in prior seasons.
Through 11 games this season, Simmons has yet to attempt a 3-point shot, and what's worse — he's shooting a career-low 55.9% from the foul line, almost inexplicably.
Yet Erving won't give up hope on the third-year point man, still extremely high on his potential as an NBA star.
“I think Ben has proven himself, he is an All-Star now,” Erving said Tuesday during the Sixers Crossover Art Exhibition at Philadelphia’s Fitler Club, according to Marc Narducci of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “He has lofty goals.”
Despite his reluctance to shoot, Erving still thinks Simmons brings plenty to the table.
“He is very adequate defensively,” Erving said. “He is a guy you want to have the ball in his hands.”
Sixers fans already know Simmons has boundless potential to be a star in the league, but the expectation for him to round up his game has become a virtual demand at this point. No sane individual is expecting him to turn into Ray Allen overnight, but he's been heavily criticized by his unwillingness to venture outside his comfort zone and start taking some shots, even if he does miss.
Until Simmons is comfortable trying and failing, it's hard to validate Erving's hopes — especially when he's shown no real change in the approach to his game.
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