NBA Talk #18 : Did Ben Simmons already fix his Jumper?

What's up basketball fans! I am here again @dwin0603 to give you another exciting basketball discussion for another episode of NBA Talk, and today we will talk about Ben Simmons and his jumper. Did he really improve ut? Let's get started!

Ben Simmons is a once in a generation talent kind of player. His vision is outstanding. He is strong. He can play in the post. He’s quick and fast enough like a point guard. He can run the floor and lead. But despite all of that, Simmons has one great flaw in his game, his jump shot. Simmons’ jumper is awful. He couldn’t make a three-pointer or even a mid-range jumper. So, in this episode, we are going to talk about Ben Simmons’ jumper. Does he really fix it during the offseason?

When a video was posted of Ben Simmons nailing long-distance jumpers, this raised a few eyebrows and after what we've seen from him his whole career, it's time to ask the question “Has been Simmons fixed his jump shot”?

Let's first talk about Ben Simmons' Jump Shot Issues

First, let's look at the issues that have led to Simmons being the most reluctant shooter from a ball-handler position that the NBA has probably ever seen. Synergy has enlisted with exactly one catch and shoot jumper last year and it's comical how far they had to stretch that category to fit this shot into it. Simmons’ inability to shoot causes problems with the way they were running their offense primarily due to how much space Simmons's man can sag off him and clog the paint but let's get into the specifics of why his shot is so inefficient.

A big problem he has, it's with his feet when going to his left he executes a right-left pattern but notices with the left foot is planting alongside the right foot. He needed to get the left foot farther forward to enable easier alignment of his shooting hip and elbow to the basket rotating in the air is a common trait for all shooters going to their strong hand. But Simmons has to fight his body because of the poor foot placement and he's shown the inability to calibrate because of it. When he attacks a straight-line drive, notice how far his left foot drifts in front placing all the weight on his right foot reducing the amount of energy transfer into his jump. On top of that, he holds the ball until he's on the way down before he releases it and you can see by the result that it's very difficult to control the power. Going slightly to his right, notice how it uses the right-left one to which is backward from what is traditionally taught in this direction for lefties. He's on his way down on the release eliminating most of the rhythm that should be generated by timing the arms and legs properly. With so much room to work with, due to the Simmons sag, he should be able to dictate direction and footwork. We get a traditional right-left when going to his left but again the left foot is planted even with the right. The issue with his footwork certainly affects his left elbow which sticks out extremely far. But imagine if he put his right foot forward a little bit it would be the perfect form for a righty.

Notice how he tries to keep the elbow in at the beginning but by the time it gets to shoulder height, it's completely flaring out. Notice that his left foot is pointing at the rim. If he made it parallel to his right foot, the elbow wouldn't flare out as much. There's also virtually no leg Bend at all hence no energy transfer and no rhythm.

This goes a long way towards explaining why he's a career 58% shooter from the line. More examples of terrible rhythm, the ball begins above the waist which is too high. The legs don't begin extending until the ball is already at the set point which is late and notice how the right wrist flexes which isn't abnormal. But for most players, it would be timed with the release with Simmons we get the right wrist movement and then a secondary action of the left wrist tension and ball release. There is no way to be consistent in free-throws shooting this way.

Ben Simmons' Improvements

Let’s check out the footage we've seen so far this summer. The first thing you can notice was his left foot placement. It's better farther in front but perhaps slightly less elbow flare to the rhythm is still off a little bit. It’s better to see the bottom of a dip time to the planting of the left foot. He brings the ball up early and it dissipates some of the energy transfer from the legs but he nails the shot.

The issue with foot placement with going to his left requiring some extra in air rotation but the rhythm is better as the ball is just below shoulder height on the left foot. You can see how he needs to rotate in the air for alignment and then wisely uses the left leg to control that rotation. The release is over the head creating a two-motion shot but from 19 feet that's okay. Going to his right is where he's naturally aligned to the basket and his left elbow flare is the least again rhythm is decent but he's still bringing the ball up slightly early requiring more power generation from their arm and wrist extension.

There is a slight improvement with the feet and with the rhythm of course. The season is still not starting. He has plenty of time. He can still improve. He’s working hard and he’s dedicated. We can't really evaluate whether his jumper is better until we see him in real NBA games especially up close and in person. So, we will have to wait and see him in the actual game. Don’t be surprised if he hits plenty of jump shots next season.

That is all for today folks! I would love to hear your thoughts about this article, so drop your comments now and let's have some basketball talk. 😁