Philadelphia 76ers Tobias Harris had a great reaction when asked about Ben Simmons' deep 3-point shot in the preseason game against the Guangzhou Long Lions last Tuesday.
Simmons finally improving his jump shot is one of the keys to the success of the 76ers this season, which is why the home crowd in Philadelphia and his teammates made it look like he hit a game-winner in the NBA Finals
“He's one of the best shooters in the history of basketball,” Tobias Harris told Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice. “100 percent from three, so I don't want to hear nothin.”
Harris worked out with Simmons in the offseason and raved about what he saw from him:
“He's in the gym religiously every day, grinding and getting better – he's in great shape. Everybody was trying to figure out why I was guarding him at the 3-point line. It's really because he hit two of them – I dared him to shoot two of them [3-pointers] he hit two in a row so, that's why I was there. He's made big improvements on his game – his jump shot is looking really good, he has the confidence to shoot it.”
Simmons has not been a good shooter in his career and what concerns fans and experts the most is that he did not want to shoot 3-pointers altogether. He made just 11 3-point attempts in 2017-18 and six last season.
Last year his only shots from distance were when he had no other choice because of a lack of time on the clock and his hesitation let his opponents dictate his offense.
This did not stop Simmons from becoming an NBA All-Star but it also didn't let him help the 76ers reach the NBA Finals last year.
If he improves his shooting, Simmons will be able to take the next step as a player and really make the 76ers contenders. This is what he said about adding a 3-point shot to his game:
“It's part of the game,” Simmons told reporters during media day. “If it's open, I'll take it.”
Odds To Win The Eastern Conference (Courtesy of 5Dimes)
Milwaukee Bucks +160
Philadelphia 76ers +240
Boston Celtics +685
Brooklyn Nets +900
Indiana Pacers +1100
Toronto Raptors +2000
Miami Heat +3000
Orlando Magic +5000
Atlanta Hawks +10000
Detroit Pistons +10000
Chicago Bulls +18000
New York Knicks +50000
Washington Wizards +50000
Cleveland Cavaliers +75000
Charlotte Hornets +100000
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