Ben Simmons talks about the controversial part of his game — his shooting — and reveals his approach to shots beyond the arc for the Nets in 2022-23.
Ben Simmons’s unwillingness or inability to shoot has been the narrative underpinning his career thus far and pulling attention away from his elite skills on the defensive end and as a facilitator.
His unwillingness to attempt 3-pointers and lack of confidence at the free-throw line has caused spacing issues for the Philadelphia 76ers and created an easy avenue for the Atlanta Hawks to exploit in the playoffs in 2021.
Simmons has attempted 34 career 3-pointers and made just five. Though much has been made about him adding a layer of offense to his game — including his former head coach Brett Brown publicly challenging him to attempt one 3-pointer per game — he has yet to make it a regular occurrence.
So, going into this season with the Brooklyn Nets, is he going to attempt 3-pointers?
Ben Simmons lets us know his expectations for 3-pointers this season
Ben Simmons appeared on Old Man and the Three with J.J. Redick and talked about a myriad of topics. Of course, 3-pointers were one of them.
Here’s how the conversation on threes and the Nets went:
J.J. Redick: Are you gonna shoot threes this season for the Nets?
Ben Simmons: Yeah, I need to! I need to just go out there, put some up.
JJ: You should just make a goal, I’m going to shoot five a game until they tell me to stop shooting.
BS: Twenty threes a game! Kevin’s wide open… NOPE!
Well, pretty straightforward there.
Simmons has yet to play for the Nets.
After being traded to Brooklyn midseason, Simmons spent the year getting in game shape since he hadn’t played for the Sixers due to hangups with his mental wellness and desire to be traded away from the team. In the process of getting back in game shape, Simmons had some back issues that kept him out for the entirety of the season.
The season starts in a few weeks, so we’ll see how serious Simmons is about his approach to 3-pointers then.