The idea of Ben simmons, the Philadelphia 76ers point guard, will spend the offseason seeking to improve his shooting effectiveness at the rim has become an annual discussion in Philadelphia.
That will be the case again in 2021, after Simmons missed the free throw line and disappeared from the Philadelphia offense as part of the 76ers’ collapse that knocked them out of the Playoffs after being eliminated from the Playoffs by falling in seven games. against the Atlanta Hawks.
Less than 24 hours after the team’s season was over, coach Doc Rivers said he believes this summer will be different for Simmons, because, in his appreciation, not only is Simmons willing to do his job, but the Sixers have a plan to help improve your shooting performance that will involve “doing the right job” and doing it “the right way”.
“Without going into the details of what we’re going to do, I think we know what the right job is, the type of job and the right way to do it,” Rivers said when discussing Simmons’ offseason job.
“You can do the job all the time, but if it’s not done the right way and it’s not the right kind of job, you probably won’t get better. After being here for a year, I really think that we have identified the what and the how and now we have to do our part. It won’t be easy, but it’s definitely a job Ben can do, ”he added.
Simmons is in doubt to play for Australia at the Tokyo Olympics and is expected to make a decision on this this week, ESPN sources told Brian Windhorst. The guard plans to work on skill development over the summer. The Australians are medal contenders and are scheduled to start their training camp next week in Los Angeles and play Team USA in two exhibition games in July in Las Vegas.
Since becoming a member of the Sixers in the 2017-18 NBA season, Simmons has displayed solid skills and has stood out for his excellent passing the ball and for being one of the most versatile defenders in the league.
These are qualities that have led Simmons to be selected three times to the All-Star Game, to be part of the NBA Ideal Team and to win the Rookie of the Year award in 2018. However, among those qualities is the fact of not being skilled. in shooting at the rim and although not having the will to try three-pointers is one of his characteristics, in these Playoffs he was having 60 percent efficiency in free throws, an average around which he has been in his four years, at 34.2 per percent this postseason.
“Offensively, I didn’t help, I didn’t do enough for my teammates. There are a lot of things I need to work on, ”Simmons said after the Game 7 loss to Atlanta.
Rivers said the team needs to make sure it makes Simmons a more confident free throw player and that if that happens, the rest will take care of itself.
“We make no secret that Ben has to become a better and more confident free throw player. If that happens, I really think a lot of other things will happen, ”Rivers stressed. “I said it before the season. The first thing I said was, ‘We need to get (Ben) to go to the free throw line 10 times a game’ and I want to have him 10 times a game on the line, so we have to work towards that, but if we can get him to that point. , their performance is going to go to a different level ”.
Rivers tried to dispel his immediate reaction when he said “I don’t know,” after being asked if Simmons can be a championship-level point guard, repeatedly saying that he believes in Simmons and is confident that he can make the necessary adjustments to help. the Sixers to leave behind the disappointment of losing the series after finishing the regular season with the best record in the Eastern Conference.
“I am positive about Ben, I am very focused on Bill, but there is work to do and Ben will be willing to do it. Sometimes you have to analyze things to see something and be honest about it, “concluded Rivers.