76ers' Brett Brown Wants Ben Simmons to Take a 'Minimum' of 1 3-Pointer a Game
Now that Ben Simmons has proved he can hit a three-pointer in an NBA game, Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown wants to see a lot more.
Brown explained after the game that he's hoping to see at least one attempt from beyond the arc each night, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN:
"This is what I want, and you can pass it along to his agent, his family and friends. I want a 3-point shot a game, minimum. The pull-up 2s ...I'm fine with whatever is open. But I'm interested in the 3-point shot. The mentality that he has where he's turning corners and taking that long step, that gather step, and bringing his shoulders to the rim and trying to dunk or finish tight, will equal higher efficiency, or getting fouled. That's the world that interests me the most. Those two things."
Simmons knocked down his second three-pointer of the season Saturday in a 141-94 blowout over the Cleveland Cavaliers:
It was just his second made three of his career in three seasons.
Of course, one of the problems with his game was the lack of aggressiveness when it came to outside shooting. Simmons went 0-of-17 from deep over his first two years and only took three shots from beyond the arc in his first 20 games of 2019-20.
His efficiency is now much better, making 50 percent of his four outside shots, but his game remains limited as long as he stays hesitant as a shooter.
Without a threat as a shooter, opponents are able to back off when he has the ball, closing passing lanes and congesting the middle of the court whenever he's on the floor. By simply attempting shots at a higher rate, it will keep defenders honest and help improve a 76ers offense that entered the day ranked 19th in efficiency, per Basketball Reference.
Giannis Antetokounmpo could be a good model as a player who doesn't shoot well (31.6 percent from three this season) but has improved over his career and at least forces defenders to guard him all over the court.
Brown is hoping to unlock Simmons' potential by getting him to be more aggressive as a shooter.
