Since Ben Simmons was drafted first overall in the 2016 Draft, there has always been one element of his game that has held him back from superstardom: shooting.
Over 300+ games in the NBA, Ben has only attempted 35 shots from beyond the arc and has made only five. But it’s not just from downtown, where Ben struggles to shoot. In fact, any shot that is beyond a few feet from the basket is a major problem for No. 10, and it’s been the biggest ‘what-if’ of his young career.
So far, nobody has been able to figure out why Simmons is so unwilling to take shots from deep, but NBA legend Gilbert Arenas recently offered up his own explanation for the phenomenon.
Here’s what he said in a chat with Julian Edelman and Sam Morrill on the ‘Games With Names’ podcast.
“I sat there and just watched him and I’m looking at his form, looking at his feet and I’m like ‘what the hell is going on with you, why isn’t it translating to the game?’ There’s a certain type of player that just can’t shoot and it’s because of their speed,” Arenas said. “They’re too fast! It sounds like a weird thing but they’re too fast. If you go through recent history, Jason Kidd – super fast, couldn’t shoot, you’ve got your Westbrooks, you know…They have too much speed and torque so when you try and stop and pull up, it messes up everything.”
It’s a compelling argument from Arenas, but fans still aren’t buying it. In today’s NBA, where practically everyone can shoot the three, players are constantly adding more and more range to their game.
For Simmons, he hasn’t even tried to become a better shooter despite having years to grow and develop that part of his game.
Ben Simmons Is The Key To Unlocking The Nets’ Full Potential
The Nets are doing well enough with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant this season, but they could reach new levels of dominance if Ben Simmons rediscovers his All-Star form.
At just 26, it’s not too late for Simmons to complete an epic redemption arc, but he’ll need to start showing some signs of that now before the Nets give up on him entirely.
The ball is in his court now, and only time will tell if he’s able to overcome his demons and change his game for the better.
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