Ben Simmons' Shooting Phobia: Why the 76ers Guard may never develop a reliable jumpshot

Receiving the ball from Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons confidently shot and made a three-pointer in the first four minutes of last Thursday’s game against the Orlando Magic. Though three-pointers are fairly common in the NBA, his teammates—all-smiles and arms raised—celebrated the shot as if Simmons had knocked down a game-winning shot, even giving him a standing ovation. Why? Simmons rarely makes threes; in fact, he hardly takes them. As of the end of 2020, out of the more than 2,500 shots in his four-year career, Simmons has attempted 25 threes, converting three of them. Simmons also rarely takes shots outside the paint. Last year, out of 647 shots, he only took 37 shots beyond ten-feet from the basket. The two-time all-star has two problems: he can’t shoot and he doesn’t want to shoot. While some believe that he is a “jump shot away” from being the “next LeBron,” with his current mentality, Simmons will never develop into a superstar player.

Drafted in 2016 with the first overall pick, Simmons missed the 2016-17 season with a foot injury. In his return season, the guard averaged 15.8 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 8.2 APG, winning the Rookie of the Year award in 2018 over Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell. Since then, Simmons has hardly improved. In three years, his career high in points, assists, and rebounds are 16.9 PPG, 8.8 RPG, and 8.2 APG (in his rookie season), respectively. Each year, he recorded the same player efficiency rating, a statistic that measures a player’s contributions, of 20.0.

Although he was a good defender when he entered the league, Simmons has truly only improved his defense. The guard’s defensive player rating and steals per game have consistently been below the league average and grown over time. With his seven-foot wingspan, Simmons has also proven to be a versatile defender, who can defend the perimeter as well as guard power forwards and centers. In 2020, finishing 4th in Defensive Player of the Year voting, Simmons led the league in steals and placed 3rd in deflections per game. When guarded by Simmons, stars Trae Young, Pascal Siakam, LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden all shot below 35% from the field.

Besides shooting, Simmons has few weaknesses: he plays defense, passes well, and averages 16.3 PPG with a 56% career field-goal percentage. However, with all his talent, how can Simmons continue to fail at the main component of modern-day basketball? How can he be so bad at shooting that defenders choose to stand at the free-throw line, giving him 7+ feet of space?

If Simmons wants to improve, he must change his jumpshot. Currently, Simmons’s jumpshot looks like a slingshot. In the rare footage of his shot, he squares his feet to the basket, moves his arm in a robotic motion, hurls the ball, and, as a result, produces a flat-shot that ends with the ball clanking off the side of the rim. Several NBA players have altered their shots before. The most recent example has been that of Lonzo Ball. In 2017, he entered the league with an unorthodox shot with a release point on the left side of his head. Now, with a release point above the front side of his head, Lonzo has improved his field-goal percentage, three-point percentage, and free-throw percentage by 6, 7, and 14 percentage points in three years.

Could Simmons do the same? Perhaps, but unlike Simmons, Lonzo has never been afraid to take shots. In his rookie year, shooting 30% from three, Lonzo still attempted 5.7 threes per game. To improve, Simmons must overcome his phobia. If he doesn’t, the so-called “next LeBron” may simply remain as the “next Draymond Green”.