No player in the NBA has been under the spotlight of negativity in recent months than Ben Simmons. The Australian guard has been the subject of major scrutiny over the last few months.
Simmons’ poor performance in the NBA playoffs, especially against the Atlanta Hawks, has caused several fans to grow impatient with Simmons. While Simmons entered the league with great hype and excitement, that has now turned to frustration.
Simmons’ biggest criticism is the fact that he hasn’t developed his scoring abilities. Most notably, Simmons has yet to make any improvement in his jump shot.
The 25-year-old is still one of the worst shooters in the league and doesn’t meet the standard for that of a superstar in the NBA.
Despite being an All-Star caliber player, Simmons is considered a liability on the offensive end these days. This is the main reason the 76ers have not been able to secure a trade for Simmons in the last few months.
At the moment, all signs suggest that the 76ers will be beginning their new season without Simmons on the roster.
Many franchises are interested in bringing the 2018 Rookie Of The Year into the fold but are not willing to match the high evaluation the 76ers have of him.
But one NBA veteran actually noticed Simmons’ weakness on the offensive end of the court. Recently retired former NBA champion Jared Dudley spoke about Ben Simmons’ game in 2019, noticing how poor his offensive game could be.
Dudley did praise Simmons’ game, especially on the fast break, but noticed that his game during a half-court offensive set is his weakness.
Jared Dudley dropping gems at media availability: "Ben Simmons is a great player in transition. And once you get him into halfcourt, he's average."
— Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) April 17, 2019
“Ben Simmons is a great player in transition… And once you get him into halfcourt, he’s average.”
If you don’t remember, this happened when the Sixers faced the Brooklyn Nets in the 2019 NBA playoff. Simmons and Dudley went at it on the court, which led the veteran to make these claims about Ben.
Simmons has an important season coming up, as he looks to redeem himself in the league. The Australian point guard has a long road to redemption ahead of him.
