When Washington Nationals outfielder Kyle Schwarber socked a game-tying three-run homer against the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday, the Nats’ official Twitter account did Ben Simmons dirty.
No doubt poking fun at the 76ers guard’s inability to shoot 3-pointers, the person running Washington’s social media had zero chill after Schwarber’s dinger.
In four NBA seasons, Simmons, a former No. 1 overall draft pick, has managed to make just five shots from beyond the arc.
Although he’s posted footage of himself practicing in the offseason before, it’s clear Simmons’ shot still has a long way to go. In fact, his struggles extended to the free throw line during the 2021 NBA playoffs, as Simmons made just 25 of 73 attempts from the charity stripe (34.2%).
That historically awful display of shooting freebies, combined with the fact that the Sixers can’t trust one of their superstar players to get a bucket in crunch time, has trade speculation swirling around Simmons already this offseason.
Philadelphia just bowed out to the Atlanta Hawks in seven games during the second round.
The public criticism is probably doing nothing for Simmons’ confidence as he tries to rebuild his shot with a (probably) more earnest effort to do so. Nevertheless, the Nationals were well within their rights to gloat a bit on the road.
Maybe at some point, if Simmons’ shot gets fixed, he’ll have the last laugh. For now, he’ll just have to sit there and take it.
Most won’t feel sorry for him because of his max contract. Bottom line is, Simmons needs to improve that shot, or he’ll be hard-pressed to realize his full potential in Philadelphia or anywhere else in the NBA.
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