FanPost

If Ben Simmons Doesn't Learn to Shoot This Year, He Should Be Traded.

Ben Simmons gets too much hate. His critics, and there are many, get angry with his utter lack of a jump shot. This has been overblown through his first two years in the NBA. He won Rookie of the Year coming off a serious injury. He was an All-Star at 22 years old. His stats compare favorably to a young Magic Johnson. He's awesome to watch, especially in transition. There aren't five players his age or younger who you'd rather have.

Simmons also just signed a 5-year, $170 million maximum extension to stay with the Sixers. This is a decidedly good thing. It means Philly can keep their core together, as now all five starters are locked up for at least the next two years.

However, it's high time for Ben Simmons to get a jumper. In the playoffs this past year, his scoring, rebounding, and assist numbers dropped significantly. When the playoffs come around, defenses tighten up, there's less space to work with, and Simmons becomes less effective.

The NBA is in the midst of a rollercoaster offseason which has lead to all-time high levels of hope for franchises like the Sixers. The NBA has entered an era of parity, and the Sixers have a legitimate chance to compete for a championship. For that to happen, however, Simmons must develop some semblance of a jump shot.

All five of the Toronto Raptors' starters shot above 34.5% from 3 during the regular season. The Warriors, even with the greatest shooter of all time on their roster, needed more shooting. To win a title, not everyone on the team needs to be a knockdown shooter. That's not feasible. But on the Raptors, the reigning champions, everyone was capable. On the Warriors teams that won titles the previous years, the worst shooter was Andre Iguodala, who, by the way, is a career 35% three-point shooter in the playoffs.

All teams have a championship window. Al Horford is 33. Joel Embiid has a serious injury history, and career longevity isn't exactly the motto of people his height and above.

Realistically, the Sixers have a 2-3 year window with their current core to win a title. They're more than capable this year, but Simmons has to be enough of a threat to make a wide-open 3 in the playoffs. He can't be ignored.

If this doesn't happen, the time to trade him might be next year. He'll have incredible value; as stated earlier, there aren't five guys his age or younger a team would rather have. But if he doesn't get a jump shot, the 76ers chances of winning a title drastically go down. For a team that went all-in on win-now, that isn't a chance they can take.

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