Ben Simmons is rumored to be eyeing an NBA comeback, and unsurprisingly, the Philadelphia 76ers continue to get linked to their former franchise player. The disgruntled star is currently ramping up his return to play, but the team knows much better than to trust those practice clips of him that have been floating around social media, specifically videos of him attempting and hitting jump shots.
The former 76ers star is currently training with the Australian National Basketball Team, and it appears from video clips that his jump shot is looking way smoother than before. Be that as it may, this is not really something new, as it is pretty customary around this time of the year for players to suddenly show themselves picking up a new skill or two. Simmons' supposed emergence as a jump shooter is only one manifestation of that feeble fad.
The 76ers should easily be able to call Ben Simmons' bluff this time around
Sure, there are actual reasons –– basketball reasons –– for Philadelphia's brain trust to find a reunion scenario with Simmons to be a palatable think piece. The 76ers would still benefit from having a boost on the playmaking department and on the defensive end, and those two areas are where Simmons particularly thrives in.
That being said, Simmons' complete lack of acuity outside the paint when it comes to shooting the basketball is way too debilitating of a handicap for the 76ers to be a sensible accommodation party. As everyone knows, this is not only someone who is incapable of hitting jump shots in actual game situations, but also a player who is afraid to take them in the first place.
Some practice clips of him with a smooth-looking jumper is not nearly enough to quell concerns about his perimeter prowess that have only become more worrying in view of the one-year sabbatical he took in order to supposedly get his body right.
Player tendencies do not just change overnight, and if they miraculously do, they do not come in the practice setting. Simmons has a bad rep for very good reasons, and the 76ers should be able to easily call his bluff right away amid the current rumor mill forcibly linking them to the former All-Star.
Ben Simmons is likely to have a new team in the upcoming season, but the Philadelphia 76ers should steer clear of him. He has not yet shown anything compelling for a reunion to be high on the team's priority list, and despite his seeming improvement as a jump shooter, the case remains the same.
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