Ben Simmons knows he’s not a great shooter: ‘I am getting better, though’
Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons is fully aware that he’s not a great shooter.
The 23-year-old was extremely candid about that fact Wednesday as he’s getting ready to kick off his third season in the NBA this fall.
Yet even with his jumper being one of the biggest side-stories in the league in recent years — especially after he finally made a 3-pointer last week — Simmons hasn’t let it get to him.
“I am confident to say I am not a great shooter,” Simmons said Wednesday, via the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I am getting better, though. It is a game. It is five people on the court. I lack something that I am not great at, but other areas I am very great at … I love getting better. I love spending time in the gym and building that confidence.”
Simmons received a massive standing ovation last week after he drilled a 3-pointer in an exhibition game against China’s Guangzhou Loong Lions, the first of his professional career after a rough 0-for-18 start.
The 3-point bucket, even though it was a preseason game and a shot that nearly every player in the league should be able to hit, totally captivated the basketball world. Within just a few hours of his shot, Simmons was the No. 1 trending topic on Twitter worldwide.
THIS IS NOT A DRILL.
BEN SIMMONS MADE A THREE.
THIS IS NOT A DRILL. pic.twitter.com/A2He5Ed75S— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) October 9, 2019
If Simmons had a true jump shot, it could be the boost the 76ers need to finally hit their goal and win an NBA title. If nothing else, it would help elevate his game to live up to the expectations that come with being a former No. 1 overall draft pick.
But his shot isn’t there yet, and he knows it. That, though, isn’t going to shake him or his confidence in the 76ers as a whole.
“It’s something that I’m working towards getting better as a player, as you would do as a writer,” Simmons said, via the Inquirer. “Everybody works to get better. Him behind the camera, he wasn’t the best the first day he started. That is just my game.”
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