Is Ben Simmons the future in Philadelphia or should the Sixers jump ship?
Heading into the NBA offseason, one of the biggest questions around the league is should the Philadelphia 76ers move Ben Simmons for another star player? The 76ers got eliminated in the Eastern Conference Seminals by the Toronto Raptors in game 7.
There have been some concerns amongst basketball pundits whether or not Simmons and Joel Embiid can coexist in Philadelphia. The 76ers should keep Joel Embiid over Simmons, especially if Simmons doesn’t start working on a jumper. In addition to that, he is not the best free throw shooter either, as his free throw percentage during the playoffs was an atrocious 57 percent.
Because of his shooting concerns, the 76ers should move Ben Simmons for a star player.
Simmons needs to work on his jumper
During the 2017-2018 regular season, his free throw percentage was 70.7 percent which was much higher compared to 60 percent this past regular season. His game has definitely looked off and he needs to work on his overall shooting form and attempts this summer. His playoff field goal attempts went down as well this year from 12.5 per game to 9.7 per game. He is attempting less and he’s not confident in his shooting game.
In addition to being the number one draft pick, he was the rookie of the year. With lofty expectations on his shoulders, his overall numbers are down compared to his rookie season. If he wants to stay in Philadelphia then he needs to work on his shooting starting now until the new season approaches.
Philadelphia has a tough call
Whether Simmons wants to stay in Philadelphia or not it’s solely up to him. He needs to show the organization he wants to improve on his jumper and overall game, and they need his confidence back. He disappeared during the playoffs as he averaged 13.9 points in the postseason compared to 16.9 points in the regular season. The main goal is to dominate the Eastern Conference and win a championship, and this organization has a tough call to make during the offseason if they want to win an NBA championship.
Trading Simmons is the right call for Philadelphia and also re-signing Jimmy Butler is the right thing to do. When the team needed him the most he vanished during the playoffs in a year that Philadelphia was considered serious title contenders. The fans, media, and NBA owners know that his weakest link is his jumper. He is a young superstar and has the potential to be one of the future greats, but it is hard to win a ring when you’re star player cannot shoot.
