“This isn’t going to be the thing that defines him immediately,” Sixers head coach Brett Brown told the media in May when asked about Ben Simmons’ reluctance to shoot jump shots.
In the past, when Brown has been asked about Simmons’ jumper, he has tried to steer the conversation, shifting the narrative away from what his star pupil can’t do and back to what the All-Star can do. Part of the reasoning behind that effort is an earnest belief that we need to appreciate Simmons’ unique gifts and abilities. Part of that is also likely an effort to shield his young star from scrutiny.
Those comments from Brown came during the Sixers’ exit interviews, a day after his team was eliminated by the eventual champion Toronto Raptors in gut-wrenching fashion. The comments followed a seven-game series in which Simmons averaged just 11.6 points per game, attempted only 8.6 shots per game and, perhaps most reflective of his offensive struggles, made just one…
