Ben Simmons has earned a lot of criticism from fans and media members for his inability or unwillingness to take 3-point shots during games. Every offseason, the talented point guard is seen in videos taking some long-range shots, but when they really matter, he refuses to attempt them.
This was a big reason why Philadelphia 76ers fans constantly harassed him after the infamous 2021 playoff second-round series against the Atlanta Hawks, as Simmons didn’t improve his game in the eyes of fans, which led to more criticism toward him.
That hasn’t stopped now that he’s in Brooklyn, and many are wondering if he will start taking 3s more consistently now.
Ben Simmons Promises He’ll Start Taking 3-Pointers With The Nets
During a recent appearance on JJ Redick’s “The Old Man and the Three” podcast, Simmons was asked about all the bad comments he’s received for not being a shooter. Redick recalled that his former head coach Brett Brown was the one who started that ‘trend’, asking Simmons if he was affected by that (25:00).
“Did the shooting thing become bigger than it should have been and f— with you a little bit?” Redick asked.
“For sure,” Simmons said. “100 percent. No, for sure. And I didn’t really realize that early on in my career. And it started building up. I’m like, They’re saying I can’t, should I not? I’m f—in’ confused now. You don’t want me to shoot, but you want me to shoot? Like, I don’t know. So it did f— with me a lot. But I kind of found peace in a place where I’m just like, f— it, it’s basketball, like, I’m great at the game, I need to go out there and show people what I can do and my talent. So it did for a while, I was just like f—ed up a little.”
Redick then asked Ben if he intended to attempt 3-pointers with the Nets, and he came up with a big response, jokingly saying he would attempt 20 3s per game this upcoming season.
“Yeah, I need to,” Simmons said. “I need to just go out there and put some up.”
Simmons and Redick started laughing, not clarifying if he was serious or simply messing around.
“F—in 20 3s a game,” Simmons said, now clearly joking. “Kevin’s wide open — nope!”
Ben Simmons has a team that has shooters, so it’s not a must for him to develop a jump shot. However, that would add so much more to his game, and the Nets would get a lot of benefits. He has solid shooters like Seth Curry and Joe Harris on the roster, so he has people who can help him become at least a decent shooter.
This upcoming season will bring a lot of challenges for the Nets’ Big 3, and Simmons will be one with a lot of eyes on him.
