Gilbert Arenas Has Interesting Theory On Why Ben Simmons Can’t Shoot
After being drafted as the No.1 overall pick, Ben Simmons was penciled in as a franchise cornerstone for the Philadelphia 76ers alongside superstar big man Joel Embiid. That seemed the case before Simmons flamed out against the Atlanta Hawks in the 2021 NBA playoffs.
Simmons’ career then took a wild turn from there. Eventually, the three-time All-Star was traded to the Brooklyn Nets for former MVP James Harden at the trade deadline last season.
While playing well on defense, while also still having a good eye for his teammates as a playmaker, Simmons still struggles to shoot from basically anywhere on the court.
During an appearance on the Games With Names podcast with Julian Edelman and Sam Morrill, Gilbert Arenas now shared that he believes to knows what’s going on with Simmons and his shot, while saying that the he is too fast for his own good.
“I sat there and just watched him and I’m looking at his form, looking at his feet and I’m like ‘what the hell is going on with you, why isn’t it translating to the game?’ There’s a certain type of player that just can’t shoot and it’s because of their speed…
..They’re too fast! It sounds like a weird thing but they’re too fast. If you go through recent history, Jason Kidd – super fast, couldn’t shoot, you’ve got your Westbrooks, you know…They have too much speed and torque so when you try and stop and pull up, it messes up everything.
“He just doesn’t do what he can’t do. If he can’t do it, he’s just not gonna do it. Now I would love playing with a guy who really doesn’t want to shoot like that. A guy who’s just gonna give me the ball the whole time!! Can’t say anything bad about that!”