Philadelphia 76ers: 5 gut reactions after the first week of the regular season

5. Ben Simmons isn’t going to shoot (yet)

If you know me personally you know that I am and always will be a Ben Simmons defender. I will go down with the ship and defend Ben Simmons and his lack of a jump shot until the day I die -– but man he really got us worked up for nothing over those summer workout videos.

Those videos, along with his infamous three-pointer against the Guangzhou Loong Lions in the preseason, had us all thinking that maybe he would start incorporating some form of jumper into his game. Four games into the season, it just doesn’t look like he’s ready to do that yet.

Ben is still absolutely one of the most talented players in the league, and helps the Sixers win in so many different ways. He has even clearly improved his game in many other areas this year. He is an all-around better defender, has become more aggressive offensively, and appears to be a much stronger finisher at the rim. But as a gut reaction, it just does not seem like he’s ready to start taking outside shots in real games just yet.

The Philadelphia 76ers have come out of the gate hot this year. As Sixers fans know from recent past seasons, the way the team looks in October is often very different from the way they will look come April.

There has been a lot to take away from these first four games, but there is obviously a lot of season left to play. All in all, the first week of the 2019-20 regular season has proven that the Philadelphia 76ers are in for a long, exciting campaign — and I can’t wait to see where it takes them.