Stephen A. Smith: Ben Simmons Will Cost 76ers NBA Title If He Can't Shoot Jumper

ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith said Philadelphia 76ers point guard Ben Simmons must develop a jump shot to make the Sixers a legitimate NBA championship threat.

Smith praised Simmons' all-around game during Thursday's edition of First Take, but he argued his lack of mid-range and outside shooting is a massive liability in the playoffs:

"Ben Simmons is a jump shot away from delivering the City of Brotherly Love an NBA championship, its first since 1983. That's how good he is and that's what a jump shot by him would mean to this franchise. But without it, they're gonna run into Boston or Toronto and I believe they're going to fall because he's not a perimeter threat."

Here's a look at further comments from Smith about the 2019 NBA All-Star Game selection:

Simmons is averaging 17.1 points, 9.0 rebounds, 7.8 assists and 1.4 steals while shooting 56.9 percent from the field across 71 appearances for the Sixers this season. He ranks eighth among point guards in Player Efficiency Rating, per ESPN.com.

Yet in an era where the three-point shot is the central focus to so many offenses, the Australia native's outside game is nonexistent. He's only attempted 15 threes in 152 NBA games, and he missed them all.

Ben Simmons Reel

In January, Simmons said he was working on his shot but noted it's going to take some time.

"I just want to get better," he told reporters. "I'm not really worried about the immediate outcome. I think it's just the start of something special in my game that I'm adding. I think it's one of those parts of my game that'll really separate me."

It's highly unlikely his jumper will be a polished product in time for the postseason, however, and Smith believes that will hold the Sixers back against the Eastern Conference's other top contenders.