Getty Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons
The NBA is currently in the midst of going into a spiral thanks to Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons. While the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year has opted not to shoot jumpers much (if at all) to this point in his pro career, that’s now apparently changed. As of Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Clippers, Simmons is taking jump shots and doing so with plenty of time left on the shot clock.
As you can see below, courtesy of House of Highlight’s Drew Corrigan, Simmons pulled up for a jumper with roughly 15-16 seconds left on the shot clock in the first half Tuesday.
BEN OUT HERE TAKING JUMPERS
After Simmons decided to roll out his apparent New Years resolution in the Sixers’ first game of 2019, it led to the internet going slightly wild. Fans couldn’t believe it and even analysts were left somewhat shocked at the fact he had decided to start taking jump shots.
The reactions were, as you could probably imagine, pretty priceless. There were Kendall Jenner-related jokes, fans so thrilled they couldn’t contain the excitement and others who seemed to have trouble even putting thoughts together.
Reactions to Ben Simmons’ Jumpers vs. Clippers
Ben Simmons is attempting jump shots I’m so proud #sixers
Ben Simmons just shot an actual jumper unsolicited
Impact of Ben Simmons’ Jumper
Although the 22-year-old didn’t get the above shot to fall, the fact that he’s showing the willingness to expand his game outside of the paint is a big deal. If Simmons can even hit those shots at an average rate, it’ll help the Sixers on the offensive end. The more opponents have to step out and defend him, the more open looks other players will get in the process.
Obviously, we’ve seen that Simmons hasn’t needed a jump shot to this point in his young NBA career. The award-winning rookie year was a nice start, but he’s proceeded to average 16.0 points, 9.3 rebounds and 7.9 assists through the team’s first 36 games this season.
As Simmons continues to develop his game and specifically his jumper, it’ll make the Sixers an even tougher team to beat. Considering the former No. 1 overall pick has one of the NBA’s best big men in Joel Embiid and a star in Jimmy Butler playing alongside him, there’ll be plenty of open shots to come.
It’s safe to say that Embiid, Butler and especially a sharpshooter like JJ Redick have to be thrilled to see Simmons beginning to stretch the floor a bit as the season rolls on.
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