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Philadelphia 76ers: Let Ben Simmons develop on his own time

By Mathew Kennedy

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 15: Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers warms up before the game against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on December 15, 2019 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Matteo Marchi/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 15: Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers warms up before the game against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on December 15, 2019 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Matteo Marchi/Getty Images) /
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Philadelphia 76ers, Ben Simmons
Philadelphia 76ers, Ben Simmons (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /

Don’t spend so much time nitpicking Philadelphia 76ers superstar Ben Simmons’ one weakness — you’re missing a superstar in the making.

When you think of Ben Simmons, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Do you think of a 23-year-old phenom who has completely changed life for the Philadelphia 76ers? Do you think of a 6’10” point guard who averages 16.4 points, 8.0 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game? Do you think of a hyper-athletic monster who has a chance to be the 2019 Defensive Player of the Year in only his third season?

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No. You probably think of Ben Simmons, the guy who can’t shoot 3-pointers. It’s probably better than Ben Simmons, the guy who dated Kendall Jenner, but that’s a topic for another day.

Why are we choosing to define Simmons by his flaws rather than by his immense talent? He’s shown an incredible amount of promise in his first three years, and he’s only going to get better. Are we missing something special here due to our nitpicking?

Despite having one of the most promising starts to a career in recent memory, Simmons is continuously labeled not as the dominant player he is, but as the guy who is unable and unwilling to shoot 3’s. For some people, that would be called efficiency, but for Simmons, it’s labeled as cowardice and laziness.

This weakness in his game has made many in the sports media question his work ethic, his courage and his ego. But is it really as big of a deal as the talking heads make it seem? Or has the media found a new promising young point guard to pick on?