Ben Simmons criticised in the US over glaring flaw

Ben Simmons has been savaged by the US media over a glaring fault that threatens to cut down his goal of becoming a genuine NBA megastar.

Ben Simmons was powerless to prevent a Celtics win.

Ben Simmons may have drained the longest jump shot of his career against Boston on Boxing Day (AEDT) but his inability to repeat the dose has seen him cop a hammering in the US.

The Aussie star — whose biggest weakness is his unwillingness to shoot from range — sent NBA fans into meltdown with a surprise basket from 22 feet during the last quarter of the Celtics’ 121-114 overtime win over Philadelphia.

But it was just a one-off as Simmons kept that trick in his kit bag for the rest of the match — to the detriment of the 76ers, according to some commentators.

Read: US melts down over Simmons miracle

The reigning Rookie of the Year regularly earns rave reviews for his scoring ability in the post and passing creativity in offence but he’s in danger of failing to reach the next level if he refuses to work on a jumper that could make him an even greater threat.

Simmons was criticised for his predictability during the loss to the Celtics — particularly late in the game when he missed a crucial lay-up — when Boston routinely pulled a defender off him because it knew the 22-year-old wasn’t going to hurt it from outside the paint.

It allowed the Celtics to double-team one of Simmons’ teammates — like big guns Joel Embiid or Jimmy Butler — at various stages, which limited their effectiveness.

“I didn’t get the ball. The ball didn’t find me in the fourth quarter and overtime, so, in those situations, I’ve got to show up, but I also have to be put in the right situations to be able to help this team,” an upset Embiid said afterwards.

“They were playing a lot of one-on-one, double-teaming on the first dribbles, but I have to find a way to adjust through that and just be myself.”

The Celtics knew how to keep Simmons quiet.

Writing for Deadspin, Barry Petchesky said being able to stand off Simmons allowed Boston to cut down his fellow Sixers’ time on the ball. It was integral in allowing the Celtics to score a victory over their East Coast rivals.

“When a team finds itself playing basically four-on-five on offence because your opponent doesn’t fear your point guard’s shot, eventually you’re going to stop passing into that double-team down low,” Petchesky wrote.

“I’m not sure what the Sixers do about this, beyond pushing Simmons to develop a three. He’s in just his second season, so it’s not impossible. But until then, there’s a clear blueprint for beating them, and it’s one that the East’s other best teams are well-equipped to follow.”

SB Nation’s Matt Ellentuck backed this up, saying opposition teams know exactly how to set up on defence against Simmons because they know he only has one avenue to the hoop.

“The best defences have figured out how to change their system to factor in Simmons’ inability to shoot,” Ellentuck wrote. “Often, they’ll sag the man guarding him toward the free-throw line in halfcourt sets and use the next-closest man to clog the lane he tries to drive through. Everyone knows where Simmons wants to be.”

It was clear from his rookie season Simmons didn’t have a jump shot and most pundits expected him to spend the offseason adding it to his repertoire. But apart from that 22-foot miracle against Boston it’s clear he lacks the confidence to risk shooting from distance.

American NBA analyst Chris Broussard said he’s heard Simmons doesn’t even spend any time working on his biggest flaw, while sports media personality Nick Wright — who hosts US sports program First Things First — criticised the young Australian for failing to improve at all between his first and second season in the NBA.

He’s dominant inside the paint but Simmons struggles from range.

“I do think the best players in this league every year in the offseason try to add something to their game at this phase in their career,” Wright said.

“After last year … I looked at his game and I said if I’m Ben Simmons, if I’m anyone around Ben Simmons, what’s the thing he works on this summer? Some jump shot, some mid range shot.

“And even if he didn’t have it figured out this summer, to come back where he’s willing to shoot a 12-footer. That’s what’s been disappointing is … he looks like a guy who didn’t work on it this summer, who didn’t spend time working on that part of his game.

“I couldn’t have predicted it. That’s on him, it’s on him. The offseason is his time and he’s supposed to be in the gym doing something to improve his game.

“He’s the same guy he was last year, which is a really good player but a very limited player with one enormous deficiency.”

Former NFL star Cris Carter also joined the Simmons pile-on

“You’re either going to have to show me or tell me that there’s a plan to this guy getting better,” he said on First Things First.

“He is not a point guard, he does not know how to run this team. It’s obvious he does not know how to develop a shot.

“It’s your responsibility everyday to get better as a player. Pick out your weaknesses and work on them.

“Obviously, he’s not doing enough work that has transferred over to a game situation.”

Even without a jump shot Simmons still stuffs the stat sheet, and against the Celtics he finished with a double-double (17 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists). But the man touted as a future MVP is clearly far from the finished product.