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Ben Simmons has been the talk of the basketball world since the Philadelphia 76ers were eliminated from the 2021 NBA Playoffs by the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday. The media has been criticizing the three-time All-Star, with many calling for the Sixers to trade him to another team.
The team’s failure to advance past the Eastern Conference Semi-finals is seen mostly as Ben Simmons’ fault after his subpar performance against the No. 5 seeds. During a crucial moment in the game, with the Hawks up by two points with less than four minutes remaining, Simmons passed up an easy dunk opportunity by giving the ball to a heavily guarded Matisse Thybulle.
Social media blasted Simmons, more so after Thybulle missed one of two free throws. Because of his poor free-throw shooting that the Hawks exploited to the hilt in the series, it looked like Ben Simmons was afraid of getting fouled and going to the line, where he shot just 33.3% for the series.
Can Ben Simmons recover from his playoff woes?
Despite his shortcomings, Ben Simmons’ talent is undeniable. He can affect the outcome of a game in several ways, both offensively and defensively. Unfortunately, all his contributions fell by the wayside the moment he started bricking his free throws and passing up shots in the paint.
Though it’s understandable why some feel the 6' 11" guard has not shown any improvement since he first arrived in the NBA five years ago, Ben Simmons can bounce back by evaluating his strengths and weaknesses. That’s what the franchise aim to do.
"I believe, without going into details with what we're doing, I believe we know what the right work is, and the right type of work, and the right way to do it," Sixers coach Doc Rivers said on Monday.
So what type of 'work' does Ben Simmons have to do? Here are three things that he could work on in the summer:
#1 Improve his overall shooting mechanics
For his career, Ben Simmons is a 59.7% shooter from the line. If he can get that number up to at least 70%, he won’t be as much of a liability when he’s fouled as often as he was in the postseason.
But he has work to do with his overall shooting mechanics, from the mid-range to the 3-point arc and not just at the line. He needs a shooting coach who could help him rediscover his shooting form and make it as natural for him as possible when he takes a shot.
Years ago, his former teammate JJ Redick suggested that Simmons shoot free throws with his right hand. Though Simmons shoots jump shots and free throws with his left hand, he is right-handed, and that showed in his plays in the playoffs this year.
“Simmons released the ball using his right hand on 67 shots this postseason, compared to just nine shots with his left hand,” wrote The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor. “That rate is consistent with his career rate of using his right hand going back to his time at LSU.”
If he’s willing to listen and follow the Sixers’ trainers this off-season, he could improve his shooting form, have confidence in it and develop further.
#2 Contribute more off the ball in half-court offense
During the postseason, when the offense grinds to a halt, Ben Simmons’ lack of activity off the ball becomes more glaring than in the regular season.
Too many times in the half-court with Joel Embiid or Tobias Harris posting up, Simmons can be seen hanging out at the midpost or at the 3-point line, where he doesn’t pose a threat. The lack of activity by Ben Simmons off the ball made the Sixers' offense stagnant and often predictable.
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, who rarely shoots the ball like Simmons, is the template for what the Sixers star has to work on. Since he’s not a scorer, Green sets picks for his teammates, plays decoy and cuts to the basket.
Ben Simmons will have to work closely with the coaching staff so he can be utilized off the ball more next season and become a threat on the floor even without the ball.
#3 Play with more aggression in offense
During the semifinal series against the Hawks, who decided to employ the highly successful Hack-A-Ben strategy when they’re behind, Ben Simmons became tentative to attack the basket and shot for fear of being fouled. It was clear that he was terrified of going to the line, where he has never been close to being reliable.
This tendency was encapsulated in Game 7 when he froze and didn’t dunk the ball despite being underneath the basket with hardly any defense around him. But that was already brewing before when he shot just three times in the fourth quarter in the entire seven-game series.
Ben Simmons has to have the same mentality as the Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo, who, despite being a poor free-throw shooter, continued to attack the basket with impunity. No matter the pressure to hit free throws, Antetokounmpo took the hits and went to the line in their semifinals series against the Brooklyn Nets.
If he changes his mindset, Ben Simmons should have more confidence to attack the rim and not shy away from contact. He’ll also finish plays himself rather than letting his teammates do it for him.
Also Read: Should the Philadelphia 76ers blow up the team in the 2021 off-season?
