Even though Ben Simmons was traded to the Brooklyn Nets last season, he hasn’t made his debut for the team yet. But that’s about to change when the 2022-23 NBA season starts. The 26-year-old is finally fit and looked in great shape during the NBA media day.
While on paper, the Nets have a scary roster featuring Ben Simmons, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving, there are still a lot of doubts about the success of the trio. One of the reasons behind this doubt is how Simmons will fit on the roster.
He has been in the league for quite some time now, but he still hasn’t developed a working jump shot. As a result, many believe that head coach Steve Nash may experiment with things by playing Simmons as a center. Surprisingly, the 3x All-Star is ready to play as a center if the team wants him to.
Steve Nash Isn’t Worried About Ben Simmons Not Being A Shooter
Nowadays, most teams want their players to at least be average shooters from deep. But Simmons is someone who has never been able to do that. So normally it could be worrisome for any coach in the NBA.
However, Steve Nash believes Ben doesn’t need a jump shot to be successful in the league. Nash proceeded to praise Simmons’ versatility as a player to support his claims.
Nash on Simmons’ versatility: “Very unique. That’s what makes Ben great. That’s why I don’t care if he ever shoots a jump shot. He’s welcome to, but that is not what makes him special, and not what we need. He’s a great complement to our team …”
— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) September 28, 2022
“Very unique, that’s what makes Ben great. That’s why I don’t care if he ever shoots a jump shot. He’s welcome to, but that is not what makes him special, and not what we need. He’s a great complement to our team.”
While it is great to see that Simmons has the full support of Nash, not having a jump shot is still a huge flaw in Simmons’ game.
Of course, the Nets have other players who can take care of that for him, but it could make the team’s offense one-dimensional. Additionally, it wouldn’t take teams long before figuring out a way to stop Simmons, even if he plays as a center.
