Why Ben Simmons' lack of shot attempts could be a major problem going forward

For each of the absorption that Ben Simmons' unwillingness to sprout jumpers received during his exit from the 76ers, successful retrospect the interest was a spot overblown from the phantasy hoops perspective. After all, successful his 4 seasons with the 76ers, Simmons averaged a respectable 15.9 PPG connected 11.6 FGA.

His jumper had ever been suspect, making lone 14.7% of his 3-point attempts during those years, but helium was consenting to utilize his size and athleticism to onslaught and decorativeness successful the paint.

In fact, his quality to endanger defenses disconnected the bounce arsenic a scorer made his passes much effectual due to the fact that helium drew the defence and was capable to make unfastened looks for others. Simmons led the NBA successful assists that led to made 3-pointers successful 2 antithetic seasons arsenic a effect of this phenomenon.

What, then, are we to marque of Simmons' changeable illustration since joining the Brooklyn Nets this season? Through the archetypal 3 games, Simmons is averaging lone 5.7 PPG connected a paltry 4.3 FGA.

There are immoderate caveats that indispensable astatine slightest beryllium mentioned. First, he's lone averaged 28 MPG, due to the fact that he's fouled retired successful 2 of those 3 games.

He could understandably beryllium rusty, aft having sat retired an full play earlier returning to an wholly caller roster featuring 2 ultra-primary scorers.

And Simmons' expected relation since being traded to the Nets was to beryllium a facilitator connected discourtesy that acceptable up Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving successful places they liked to people from, dedicating the larger portion of his vigor to being an elite antiaircraft anchor.

That's each understandable, but... 4.3 shots per game? In the words of King George successful the play Hamilton, "I wasn't alert that was thing a idiosyncratic could do." But, from speechmaking the beverage leaves of the fewer nationalist interviews that Simmons has done successful caller months, I judge we person to judge that helium whitethorn beryllium shooting truthful sparingly connected purpose.

Simmons seems to beryllium alert of the disapproval that helium received connected his mode disconnected of the 76ers. How could helium not? He besides seems to beryllium leaning into it. Doubling down connected the conception that helium tin beryllium a large subordinate without shooting, that helium tin successful effect beryllium a new-age mentation of the Draymond Green that helped powerfulness the Warriors astatine the commencement of their dynasty.

Can he?

While connected the aboveground determination whitethorn beryllium immoderate similarities successful concern -- constituent power-forward and antiaircraft anchor, playing with 2 different elite shooter-scorers, 1 of whom whitethorn beryllium Kevin Durant -- adjacent Draymond changeable importantly much than Simmons has this season.

In the 4 seasons betwixt 2014-15 and 2017-18 successful which the Warriors won 3 championships, Green averaged 11.8 PPG connected 9.3 FGA, much than doubly arsenic galore shots arsenic Simmons is taking frankincense far. Also, Green was a consenting shooter from 3-point range, making 1.2 3PG connected 33.4 3P%. Not a large shooter, but astatine slightest a credible menace to marque defenses wage if they sagged disconnected him.

And, ultimately, that past portion is the biggest information if Simmons truly plans to effort to play without shooting astatine all. He has to astatine slightest endanger defenses with his scoring, oregon other wherefore would opposing defenses ever respond to him? Why would they ever sag onto him to make the passing lanes and angles that acceptable up unfastened jumpers for teammates?

Through 3 games, Simmons has inactive averaged 7.0 APG, not importantly beneath his 76ers vocation mean of 7.7 APG, but that's with defenses inactive reacting to him the mode they ever have. Will that proceed if helium keeps averaging 10 less PPG (5.7 PPG vs. 15.9 PPG successful Philly) connected 7 less shots per game? Eventually opposing coaches volition respond accordingly and commencement playing him wholly to pass.

That's why, much than immoderate different reason, I expect that this Simmons-the-non-shooter experimentation tin lone past for truthful agelong successful its contiguous form. Simmons is simply a prideful player, and his teammates look to person his backmost successful helping him beryllium that helium tin beryllium a beardown subordinate portion doing it his way.

But Nets caput manager Steve Nash was an MVP-level constituent defender and level wide successful his playing days. He understands what is required to play the presumption astatine a precocious level, and helium was elite astatine utilizing the menace of scoring arsenic a means to make large looks for teammates.

Simmons tin score. He tin adjacent people successful bunches, adjacent without possessing oregon trying to utilize immoderate benignant of leap shot. During his past play with the 76ers, from the past crippled successful January until the past crippled of February, Simmons averaged 21.0 PPG connected 13.1 FGA. During that span of games, helium dropped 42 points connected Defensive Player Rudy Gobert's Jazz portion shooting 15-for-26 from the field.

On a overmuch smaller stage, it was a show reminiscent of different oversized constituent defender that didn't person overmuch jumper erstwhile helium entered the league -- Magic Johnson, successful his celebrated 1980 Finals show without Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. In fact, the Magic template is what galore hoped/believed that Simmons would make into successful his career. Based connected aboriginal returns successful Brooklyn, that's not a way that Simmons is presently connected successful his Nets tenure.

So, wherever does that permission him? He's nary longer trying to beryllium Magic, but not adjacent Draymond attempted to play without shooting oregon attacking astatine all. Perhaps, then, the champion template for what Simmons whitethorn yet extremity up doing arsenic a scorer this play is the mentation of Rajon Rondo that played connected the aboriginal Big 3 Celtics teams from 2007-08 done 2008-09.

During those 2 seasons, playing connected a squad featuring different Hall of Fame-caliber scoring threats, Rondo averaged 11.3 PPG connected 9.4 FGA, but was arsenic adjacent to a non-threat from heavy arsenic imaginable portion making 0.1 3PG connected 29.9% 3P%. Rondo didn't adjacent unreal to person a jumper, but helium did probe the defence and decorativeness wherever imaginable successful the paint.

Simmons is simply a bully 8 inches taller than Rondo and is simply a dramatically much proven scorer than Rondo was astatine that constituent successful his career. Even if the Nets are contented to not unit him to shoot, astatine immoderate constituent they'll request him to astatine slightest stay a credible capable menace to people that opposing teams can't wholly cheat distant from him.

So, it's improbable he'll extremity up averaging less than 5 tract extremity attempts per crippled for the season. He whitethorn mean azygous digits, oregon debased treble digits connected 7 oregon 8 shots per game, but helium has to bash astatine slightest that successful bid to efficaciously bash his occupation arsenic a table-setter connected a squad with 2 all-time scorers similar KD and Kyrie.

Outside of scoring, Simmons' different stats should yet settee into their norms. He's lone got 1 bargain and 2 blocks full successful the archetypal 3 games, but I chalk that up to timing. He's inactive 6-foot-10 and an elite jock with fantabulous antiaircraft instincts... the steals and blocks volition come.

He'll ever beryllium capable to clang the boards, and arsenic agelong arsenic opposing teams support adjacent a modicum of respect for his quality to endanger them disconnected the dribble, his assists should enactment arsenic well.

If helium settles successful arsenic a precocious triple-single, averaging 8-9 PPG, 7-8 APG, 7-8 RPG, 1.5 - 2 SPG and astir 1 BPG, Simmons would inactive beryllium worthy of starting successful astir phantasy hoops formats. If, instead, helium were to persist successful shooting 4 times per game, it would besides impact his assists and wide crippled due to the fact that astatine immoderate constituent Nash would beryllium forced to play him much constricted minutes.

That'd beryllium disastrous for the Nets' squad aspirations, arsenic good arsenic Simmons' phantasy production, truthful it's improbable to get to that point. But, fixed the mode the past 18 months person gone for Simmons' career, it can't beryllium ruled out, either.

For now, Simmons remains successful the top-75 of our phantasy hoops points rankings, but astatine this level of uncertainty, if you tin commercialized Simmons for a akin level of worth it mightiness beryllium omniscient to marque that move.