Chicago Bulls: 3 reasons to stay far away from Ben Simmons
By Ryan Taylor
Ben Simmons’ development doesn’t really fit what the Chicago Bulls are doing.
To be honest, Simmons does fill a lot of holes the Bulls need at the point guard position. Simmons can facilitate because he has a career average of 7.7 assists per game. Simmons is one of the best defenders in the league because he was nominated to win defensive player of the year. And Simmons can run the floor, he ranks 57th in the NBA in pace. So, why is Simmons not a good fit for the Bulls? For starters, Simmons can’t shoot the ball. Want proof?
“ESPN NBA reporter Brian Windhorst said Philadelphia 76ers point guard Ben Simmons may begin shooting with his non-dominant hand as the team tries to improve his ability to hit jump shots,” said Blake Schuster of Bleacher Report.
The recent report goes to show how well Simmons can shoot the basketball. To go over some quick numbers, Simmons shot 33 percent from the free-throw line in the series against the Atlanta Hawks. He also shot the 30th most free throws of any player this season and shot 61 percent from the line.
Simmons’s field goal attempted percentage from 10+ feet, or percent of shots taken from 10 or more feet, was .073 percent this season. His shooting from anywhere outside the paint has been a big struggle.
On top of his shooting, he lacks confidence. In the most recent playoff series, which went to seven games, Simmons attempted 45 field goals. That accumulates to just over six shots attempted per game as the second offensive option for the 76ers.