76ers' Ben Simmons experienced three-point 'paradigm shift'

Perhaps moving to power forward is precisely what 24-year-old Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons needed to locate his shooting form. 

Simmons drained a three during Philadelphia's 90-83 scrimmage victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday, and the shot that hit nothing but net elicited celebrations from those watching on the sideline. 

Per ESPN's Tim Bontemps, head coach Brett Brown told reporters on Thursday that Simmons found a new mentality about shooting beyond the arc while the NBA was on hiatus amid the coronavirus pandemic:

"I get excited [watching it] ... He doesn't flinch. The sport told him, 'I'm open, nobody is guarding me, shoot it,' and he did. There was no hesitation about what's next, or, 'What decision do I have to make now?'

"I mean, I've said since we've all known each other and I'll say it again, I think this area is arguably one of the most overrated topics that I've been a part of in coaching. So to quantify I want to see X number of jump shots ... Ben Simmons is going to play basketball, and the sport is going to tell him what he should or shouldn't do.

"[But] I feel like his spirit, his mindset coming down here, him willingly finding space and finding 3s, that has been a paradigm shift. That has been an attitudinal change, a philosophical, internal decision that he has made, because I have just seen a player that is cocky and just playing and when the game says you should shoot because nobody is on you, he does, and he doesn't blink and his teammates love it and so does his head coach."

Simmons has shot 2-of-23 beyond the arc as a pro, and he went 2-of-6 from distance during the 2019-20 campaign that was halted on March 11 because of the uncontrolled virus outbreak. 

If he's enjoying newfound confidence regarding his shooting, though, he could become an NBA bubble Most Valuable Player candidate, especially if the Sixers make a deep playoff run.