5. Ben Simmons’ 3-point shot
In the past week, there have been multiple developments around Ben Simmons’ jumper. In a recent interview on 97.5 The Fanatic, Simmons said he’s comfortable shooting jumpers. At his annual media luncheon, Brett Brown said Simmons will operate more in the corner, rather than the dunker’s spot.
After a strong two-season start to his career, this feels like the year Ben Simmons converts a field goal behind the NBA 3-point line. It’s about time, and we’ve seen Simmons hit long jumpers in the past. It might finally happen in the big leagues this season.
Expect media day to center on Simmons’ improvements over the summer. There were viral videos aplenty of Simmons shaking and baking his way to pull-up jumpers in loose five-on-five scrimmages. The form is ugly, but the results, according to video doctored by his trainers, are there.
On a more serious note, a sporadic corner 3 would vastly improve Simmons’ impact on a basketball game. Even attempting 3s at a semi-regular rate will change how defenses view Simmons, even if a track record is required to overhaul their approach.
People will ask Simmons about his jumper. It’s human nature. He’s a whiz-kid superstar on the verge of a special season, so people will ask about his one glaring weakness. His responses will be interesting.