Ben Simmons should be taking at least one three-point shot per game, insists Philadephia 76ers coach Brett Brown
Sunday 8 December 2019 12:30, UK
Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown wants to see Ben Simmons shooting from beyond the arc more after the Australian hit his second career three-point shot on Saturday.
Simmons scored from the corner in the second quarter as the Sixers started streaking away from the Cleveland Cavaliers on the way to a comprehensive 141-96 victory, with the 2018 Rookie of the Year notching a career-high 34 points.
Coach Brett Brown is not surprised to see the threes starting to drop for Simmons and now wants to see him taking the shot on a more consistent basis.
Brown said: "This is what I want, and you can pass it along to his agent, his family and friends. I want a three-point shot a game, minimum.
"The pull-up twos ... I'm fine with whatever is open but I'm interested in the three-point shot.
"The mentality that he has where he's turning corners and taking that long step, that gather step, and bringing his shoulders to the rim and trying to dunk or finish tight, will equal higher efficiency, or getting fouled. That's the world that interests me the most. Those two things."
Simmons made 12 of 14 shots from the floor on his career night and feels he's gaining rhythm in his shooting to go with the all-round power and pace that makes his game so special.
"I'm getting more comfortable," Simmons said. "Obviously, throughout time I'm getting more comfortable with the game, and just learning my spots, and just adjusting."
Much was made of how it took until last month against the Knicks for SImmons to sink his first NBA three-point shot, with the Wells Fargo Center erupting as he did so.
"The drama of it is overblown," Brown said. "The reality [is] that he can shoot and it's ultimately going to need to come into his game in a pronounced way from an attempt standpoint, that's not overblown.
"I think the drama surrounding it is completely overblown. When I put on my coaching hat and I'm looking at a 23-year-old young man trying to grow his game.
"It's completely, first, in his wheelhouse. And, secondly, he will be liberated. His world will open up - and I think, in many ways, so will ours."
