By all accounts, Ben Simmons was the star of the Sixers’ preseason match yesterday. He certainly put up a heady stat line that included eight caroms and seven dimes, not to mention 21 markers off just 14 shots. For all his usual array of close-in makes, however, his most significant score came via a contested pull-up from 27 feet out. Launched with 2.3 ticks left in the second quarter of a blowout, it got leather and nylon to meet, resulting in hearty applause from the 13,407 who trekked to the Wells Fargo Center. No matter that the score was then 79-41 against the hapless Guangzhou Long-Lions, and that, despite the coverage, he faced no pressure in taking it after milking the clock close to halftime.
Considering Simmons’ nonchalance in the aftermath of his trey, casual observers would have been forgiven for deeming it par for the course. Just about everybody else knew better, though. Fellow All-Star Joel Embiid was pumped, running to him to give a hearty push. The rest of the Sixers were, too; those on the bench erupted as if they won the last game of a championship series. And why not? They understood its significance, coming from a heralded player whose myriad skills at the point were offset by one glaring weakness: He was averse to taking a shot from deep.
Indeed, Simmons has attempted just 17 three-point shots in his career spanning 5,432 minutes and 160 regular-season games. And he has been even more loathe to hoist from beyond the arc in the playoffs; through 22 matches, he has one measly try. And “try” is the operative word, because, despite the wide latitude the competition invariably gives him, he has so far laid an egg. Which was why his make yesterday was especially significant, and why it augurs extremely well for the Sixers in their quest for the Larry O’Brien Trophy. They’re contenders in any case, but his progress from long range should enable them to get to higher hear few others in the National Basketball Association can match.
No doubt, Simmons is a generational talent who impacts the Sixers any which way. That said, he has likewise been an odd fit for franchise cornerstone Joel Embiid. Given his failure to keep defenses honest with his outside shooting, his partner’s effectiveness as a powerhouse down low is contained by all the sagging. And, to his credit, he seems to have truly made strides with his shot; all the practice videos making the rounds in social media are apparently legit. Now, all that’s left for him to do is prove his capacity to deliver — again and again. Yesterday was a good start. Whether he can sustain his confidence for the games that actually matter remains to be seen.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
