[Dazzling Dunks and Basketball BloopersParticipant]

I’m not sure there has ever been a player with so much talent who avoids shooting the ball as much as he does. A lot of people seem to just assume he will develop an outside shot over time but I’m not so sure. There are people that make the argument that lebron wasn’t a great shooter when he came into the nba either, but he was light years ahead of where Simmons is now. Even someone like Antetokounmpo, who no one would argue is a good shooter, is light years ahead of Simmons. The few times he does actually take a mid-range jumper in a game you can see why he doesn’t take many. His form is awful, his balance is terrible, and he has almost no confidence in his ability to make the shot.

In most cases I think you would say a player could just improve with enough practice, but in Simmons case I’m not so sure. The fact that he essentially had a whole redshirt year to devote exclusively to improving his biggest area of weakness and didn’t improve at all raises serious concerns. All indications are that he actually shoots with the wrong hand. I think it’s entirely possible that Simmons will basically be the same level of shooter his entire career. If that happens to be the case, how much do you think that will limit his ceiling as a player, or is he so good that he can thrive without ever really developing that part of his game? I’m curious to see what people think about this. Does Simmons even have the capability to become a competent shooter or is he just a lost cause in that regard?

 

[220Participant]

 Honestly I’m not concerned with Ben Simmons unwillingness to shoot than his ability. I watched 70+ 76ers games this year. Simmons form is honestly fine. His shots look good as they go up, but he barely shoots. I just wonder if his unwillingness to shoot extends to practice as well. 

[220Participant]

 I meant to say I’m more concerned with his unwillingness to shoot than his ability to shoot.

[Dazzling Dunks and Basketball BloopersParticipant]

 I disagree completely that his form is fine. It is not good at all. His elbow isn’t square most of time and he doesn’t have good balance. There is almost no fluidity in his motion and his release varies greatly. He almost seems unsure when he should let the ball go at times. I still believe that he shoots with wrong hand to be honest which is why I’m kind of skeptical he’ll ever improve that much.

[whiteflashParticipant]

Said the whole year that his having an entire year to work on his jumper and coming back with NOTHING he didn’t have before the injury is a massive red flag.  He strikes me as a kid who believes his own press clippings, and if that’s the case he’s going to get figured out and exploited. He doesn’t need to be Dale Ellis, but he needs SOMETHING.

[RUDEBOY-Participant]

 Dude shot 56% ft last season. 76ers need him to improve that so he can be on the floor and not be a liability at the end of Games. Dominique Wilkins,Karl Malone and recently Blake Griffin improved their shooting after a few years in the league. 

[ChoppyParticipant]

 In my opinion, that is a more glaring weakness than his lack of a jump shot. Even Drummond hit 60% of his FT’s last season.

[ChoppyParticipant]

 As long as he’s got shooting around him, I think he’ll be fine without a jumper. His IQ is off the charts and he reads the game so well that I believe he’ll adapt when other teams try to play zone on him. Personally, I think Simmons will take more 3’s this season – and make a few. He won’t be above 30%, but he’ll make some. 

[SeattleSuperChronicsParticipant]

Living in Austrilla messed his shot up. They place an emphasis on Dellavadova style of cheap bush league basketball that hampered his development of true fundementals he would received in the states at an early age

[BallerScriptParticipant]

 I’m sorry but you’re so wrong.
That has nothing to do with his 3 point shot nor does Delly have that large an impact on the playstyle of Australians.

 

[ChoppyParticipant]

 ‘Merica!

[frogmanParticipant]

Yeah I went down to watch the Australian junior teams recently.  Instead of the pregame lay-up lines they were doing tackling drills.

What a ridiculous statement.

 

 

[MopgrassParticipant]

 Is he even working on it? 

[220Participant]

 Brett Brown said his jumper would be receiving heavy refinement in the off-season.

[OhCanada-Participant]

 Why would anyone believe anything coming from that organization. Theyve been lying to fans for 5 or 6 years.

[BrentSuriaga01Participant]

 Raptors front office does lying better. Just ask Demar Derozan and how they dirty shot him.

[OhCanada-Participant]

 Lebron could always shoot. His jumpshot was never a glaring weakness you could exploit it just wasnt perfect like the rest of his game so it stood out.

[holefillers1Participant]

 He needs to be a more aggressive finisher and develop a go to baby hook.  Something like Thad Young has.  Couple that with improvement at the FT line and he is a perennial MVP candidate.  Wade and DeRozan are both sub 30% from 3.  It’s not a must have to achieve greatness.  Especially when you consider what else he can do on the court.  Last year at this time everyone said he couldn’t play PG.  I believe Simmons can do whatever he sets his mind to.  

[whiteflashParticipant]

 No one mentioned the 3. We’re talking about a shot that extends past 8 feet.

[holefillers1Participant]

 The three isn’t necessary, that’s why my I said pair his skillset with a baby hook and better FT shooting.  But he will develop a mid range game.  

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

I’ve read rumors Simmons has been working w/ Lethal Shooter all summer. 

 

[The GoatParticipant]

FTs need to improve and it’d be nice to see him open the floor with a 3 point shot, but I have ever seen so much butt hurt over a player being a poor scorer and shooter after scoring 16/game at over 50% from the field. Those numbers for a career are more than fine if his shot selection is good and the players they put on the floor around him can shoot. Most teams play at least one guy without a jumper. He needs the jumper to go from all star to superstar though, and if it doesn’t happen in the first three years, it won’t. 

[DolanCareParticipant]

 I just don’t understand why Ben Simmons, who’s incredibly coordinated, is this bad at shooting. 

[Dog_ShammdogParticipant]

I don’t have much of any faith in him developing a jumper unless he goes back to shooting with his right hand – but that just sounds crazy to even say aloud. If you watch his film going back to high school, he’s essentially ambidextrous but does seem to prefer finishing with his right hand around the basket. There is video of him shooting threes with his right hand and his shot looks so much smoother and natural, and he was actually making shots with it. I think he needs to get in the gym with Drew Hanlen and get confident in shooting with his right hand because I believe that’s where the most potential for improvement is. I just have little to no faith in what I’ve seen of his ugly @ss left handed jumper.

Dude’s way too coordinated, athletic and skilled to have such a glaring deficiency in his game and I don’t think he’d be having these issues if he would’ve stuck with his right hand for shooting from the start. If Ben Simmons was a 33-37% three point shooter on 3-5 attempts per game, he’d be on another level. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BeastMode716Participant]

 Simmons shot an incredible 54.5% FG% – And I think he took about 10 Elbow Jump shots ALL season – Simmons shot may indeed be broken but we have Not seen it to even make that determination b/c the young man simoky Refuses to Shoot the ball 

I heard an interview of a local Phila Sports Radio station interviewing Sixers coach Brett Brown in the week after the 2nd Round loss to Boston 

And the Radio Announcer – Exasperated is Pleading w/ Brown – "Brett WHY won’t this kid Shoot the Basketball! He is WIDE Open!& he’s Only 10 – 12 feet away & he will Not shoot the ball! It’s making the fan base Crazy!" 

Brett Brown – was Just as Frustrated in response – "Mike (Host name) I’m not going to go into a great amount of Detail but we talk to him about taking that Shot from either Elbow or the Free Throw stripe b/c he is WIDE OPEN – so we are On it, I swear to you & in Practice he takes the Shots & he HITS the Shots – but we get into the game & I guess he’s got so much going on – remember he is a Rookie PG running a 52 win NBA playoff team & I guess he just does not feel comfortable yet" 

Radio Announcer – "But Brett I just don’t understand why the kid will Not shoot the ball" 

Coach Brown – completely frustrated at this point "Mike we Address it EVERY single day!" I can’t keep going in circles like this & next year it will be a priority but let’s just keep in mind that there was ONLY One NBA team that had Any success Defending Simmons & that is b/c they did Not come under the screens – they pressured the ball / Simmons for 94 feet & there is NO other NBA team that has the Defensive personel that Boston possessis – so let’s keep this in Context —– And remember – and this is a Big deal – We believe that Markelle Fultz is going to be back on track next season & he’ll be a Fantastic Pro – why do I bring up Markelle? B/c w/ Markelle playing the Combo Guard role next to Ben we essentially have 2 PG’s at that point so that means NO team can focus on Simmons & do a Celtics style full court Ball pressure…." 

Now I don’t know what that means for next season & beyond – personally I feel like we saw a transcendant talent who Dominated 29 out of 30 teams – but even w/ that if Simmons wants to elevate to Super Star level he Will be forced to Develop some type of Perimeter game & improve his FT%%% & the Same goes for Fultz 

We’re talking about Two #1 overall picks & Both were projected to be Super Stars – Both are Huge for their position, are absolute Freak athletes w/ incredible court vision & ability to get to the Rim at will but Neither will or can shoot the ball – it seems Crazy to believe players w/ this kind of Talent can’t learn to shoot the Basketball – but it may very well be that NEITHER will EVER be a viable shooter & if that IS the case I don’t see the Sixers Ever progressing to a Championship Level team – we will find out in a few months when the 2018 / 19′ Season begins 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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