Nets' Seth Curry Defends Ben Simmons: 'I Don't Think He Needs a Jump Shot'

Seth Curry thinks Ben Simmons will be just fine even if he never develops a consistent jump shot.

"I don't think he needs a jump shot," Curry told The Australian (h/t HoopsHype). "He's just got to do what he does best—which is defend, rebound, push the ball, make plays for other people and attack the rim. When you've got the size and talent like him, who takes not one but two and sometimes three guys to stop him getting to the rim, that is a lot in itself."

Simmons has done well for himself without developing a jumper, making three All-Star teams and an All-NBA team before age 25. He sat out the 2021-22 season amid a falling-out with the Philadelphia 76ers and a back injury that flared up after his trade to the Brooklyn Nets, but he's one of the best young players in basketball.

The sour taste left from his final moments as a Sixer and the subsequent behind-the-scenes wrangling between the two sides have obscured the fact that Simmons is a generational passer who finishes well around the rim and is arguably the NBA's most versatile defensive player.

A team that surrounds him with the correct pieces could unlock a level of play Simmons never reached in Philadelphia. Curry, a career 43.9 percent three-point shooter, is the exact type of player who could thrive next to Simmons.

That said, Simmons would be an exponentially better player should he develop a jumper strong enough to make defenders stop sagging into the paint against pick-and-rolls.