The Philadelphia 76ers are just three wins away from an appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Still, even despite that fact, there is some concern regarding the limitations of their young star Ben Simmons, who continues to struggle with his shot.
Whether it’s from the line or anywhere on the perimeter, the dude just cannot shoot, and one former NBA coach says it could cost his team a series.
“It’s a tough spot for Doc to be in,” said a former coach. “Ben does so many things that you as a coach love for your guys to do. But his free-throw shooting is going to cost them a playoff series. Hell, you can make a case that it cost them Game 1 against the Hawks. Who knows what it would have done if Doc didn’t take him out for a minute or two there when Atlanta was trying to foul, and bring him back when they couldn’t intentionally foul him.”
If Simmons was at least an average shooter, that would be something the team could work with. Simmons has so many other skills, and does so much on the floor for his team, that it might be enough to get them a Chip.
But the fact that he’s so bad allows opposing defenses to expose that weakness, and there really is nothing the Sixers can do about it unless Simmons can start knocking them down from deep.
So, no matter what happens in this series against Atlanta, questions will remain about their ability to win it all so long as Simmons’ shooting woes continue.
