Ben Simmons
Australian basketballer, Ben Simmons, has reportedly been with benching if he fails to start shooting three-pointers at Philadelphia 76ers.
Reports say in a meeting with Ben Simmons and his parents before the NBA season, Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown made the threat to bench the Australian if he didn’t start shooting three-pointers.
According to reports, Simmons’ reluctance to shoot from beyond the arc has been a longstanding issue for the two-time All-Star.
However, it’s believed the 76ers were willing to live with his lack of shooting because of his robust defence and superior ball-handling skills.
This is according to an ESPN report which says Simmons was facing a tremendous pressure
within Philadelphia.
According to the report, “the front office and some of the ownership wanted” Brown to follow through on the bench threat.
Brett Brown had a frank chat with Simmons about how his game is evolving, according to report.
“I told Ben, ‘If you aren’t willing to shoot, then do I just bench you? Because I can do that,'” the 76ers coach told veteran NBA writer Jackie MacMullan.
“We could have gone that route or continue to coach him as it relates to spacing. We worked on the ability to use it as a choice to shoot the three, catch and go, get in the paint, or find someone else.
“This was all discussed. I opted to take this path. I think only down the road we will be able to truly assess if it was the right one. In the meantime, he’s a two-time All-Star, a kid that’s gone from a college 4 to an NBA point guard. His story is a pretty damn good one.”
By Melvin Tarlue with additional reports from Africanentertainment.com