Philadelphia 76ers: Ben Simmons will eventually develop a jumper

The Philadelphia 76ers point guard will eventually add the final piece to his puzzle.

Ben Simmons is arguably one of the most talented players in the NBA. His destructiveness and athleticism are phenomenal, not to mention his ability to score inside the paint and defend all positions.

During the Raptors series, Simmons was the only player who could limit the scoring of the reigning Finals MVP, a scintillating Kawhi Leonard. Kawhi shot just 48 percent from the field when guarded by Ben, whereas he put up at an astounding 73 percent against the rest of the team.

Other aspects of his game such as his court vision and dominance inside the paint allow him to dominate other, smaller point guards. Ben’s skill level and potential have been compared to the likes of Magic Johnson — the game’s greatest point guard. However, like all great athletes, Ben has some imperfections in his game, which have been heavily scrutinized by the media and NBA pundits. This flaw in Ben’s game has been the central talking point since talks of him signing a max extension started to speculate.

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However, are the Philadelphia 76ers in terrible trouble with Ben’s jump shot development prior to the commencement of the new season? The answer is simple: NO.

Simmons’ inability to shoot was very well accounted for by Elton Brand when signing players during the free agency period. With the acquisition of Raul Neto and Trey Burke, two players who can get buckets, the Sixers have given Ben Simmons time to develop his jumper.

Nonetheless, they have also tempted him to start shooting from outside the paint and beyond the arc by offering him a max extension with special rewards for making certain All-NBA teams, in which case Simmons would receive a major boost in his yearly earnings. We all know Ben is capable of shooting as seen from various clips of him in high school and college, so an incentive through a pay rise should be more than enough for Simmons to attempt more shots, and ultimately build his confidence level.

From the 76ers’ perspective, it is not vital for Ben to develop a jump shot immediately, but their offense will definitely be bolstered with a jumper in Ben’s arsenal. In saying that, come Finals time, Ben should have a suitable amount of confidence in shooting, having been working throughout the season on improving his game.

Also, we should expect Ben to take initiative and take jump shots regardless of him making them — with practice comes confidence and with confidence comes success. An ideal example of someone who was in the same shoes as Ben is Giannis Antetokounmpo — a player who continued to improve his three-point percentage throughout the 2018-19 season, building on his case for MVP honors.

Although these are exciting times for Sixers fans, it is important to trust in Ben, as he looks to significantly develop his game throughout the regular season. It is also important to realize that once Ben does start comfortably pulling up from mid-range and beyond the arc, he will be unstoppable.

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With the floor spaced out more, Ben and Joel’s combination will become one of, if not the deadliest duos in the entire competition. ‘Trust in Ben’ and ‘Trust the Process.’ It is only a matter of time before things go the Sixers’ way.