Source: Mitchell Leff / Getty
Since being drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers as part of the “process,” Ben Simmons was considered to be the next big thing in the league. While he has shown flashes of greatness, his game has one glaring weakness, the lack of a perimeter jump shot. Last night during a preseason game, Simmons might have put the league on notice.
Uh oh, the league might be in trouble. Over the summer, videos surfaced of the Australian born NBA baller working on his 3-point shot. In the clips, Simmon’s shot from behind the arc looks like it is coming along, but understandably, many still had their doubts. We have all been fooled by the shooting in the gym videos before, *coughs* ‘Hoodie Melo.’ So yes, we wanted to see the product of his hard work in the gym on a professional basketball court.
During a route of the CBA’s Guangzhou Long-Lions, Simmons was egged on by the home crowd to attempt a 3-pointer and show off what he has been working on in the offseason. The player who LeBron James said at one time could be better than him obliged and took the shot confidently and nailed it. The fans and Sixers’ bench reacted as if the 76ers just won the NBA championship, but the elation was for their young point guard showing that his offensive repertoire might have gotten even more lethal.
Many NBA experts, specifically Stephen A.Smith, believe that if Simmons gets a reliable jumper, they are going to win a chip. Funny, that is the same argument many have expressed when it comes to one Giannis Antetokounmpo. Anyway, back to Simmons, the reactions for his nothing but net 3-pointer threw Twitter into a frenzy. He still hasn’t made a three-pointer against an actual NBA team, though, just saying.
Hit the gallery below to see all of the reactions to Ben Simmons, possibly having a long-range shot now.
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Photo: Bernard Smalls / @PhotosByBeanz
