Philadelphia 76ers: Ben Simmons could be a prolific dunker

While the Philadelphia 76ers already have a Slam Dunk Champion on their roster in Glenn Robinson III, Ben Simmons has the potential to become even better.

Ben Simmons takes 71.5 percent of his shots from the restricted area, easily the most of any player on the 2019-20 Philadelphia 76ers.

Is that a lot? Yes. Is that twice as much as the team’s next highest player, Joel Embiid? Yup, we live in a world where the Sixers’ center attempts 3.8 fewer shots a game in the paint than their point guard – take with that what you will.

And yet, for a player who spends of so much time in the paint on any given game, Simmons is hardly known as a prolific dunker, if a dunker at all.

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Now don’t get me wrong, Simmons does throw down a jam every now and then, as evidenced by this highlight reel, but he’s not going to be named to the NBA Dunk Contest like his trade deadline acquired teammate Glenn Robinson III any time soon.

Frankly, that’s a shame, because Simmons could be an absolutely prolific dunker.

Measuring in at 6-foot-10, 230 pounds with a 7-foot wingspan and a 41.5 max vertical, Simmons is built like one of those build-your-own-2k-players where some poor planner used all of his skill points on size, awareness, and speed without saving any for shooting.

Simmons is lightning fast, makes good decisions, and has a pension for pulling off magical passes, but when it comes to scoring points, the 23-year-old’s shot chart looks more like that of a 35-year-old center than a two-time All-Star point guard. So, if Simmons has the shooting chart of a throwback center, why doesn’t he throw it down like his college alumnus The Big Aristotle himself Shaquille O’Neal?

I mean think about it, where does Simmons spend a ton of time on the offensive end of the court, much to the chagrin of fans and pundits alike? The ‘dunker spot’. What do players typically do in the dunker spot? I’ll give you a hint, it’s not lay the ball up.

Given his physical attributes and frequent fast-break opportunities, it’s only logical to assume that Simmons would have as many opportunities as anyone else in the league to print a few posters, a bit of flair a player informally known as Hollywood Simmons should be all about, right? I guess not.

Next. Thank you for everything, Brett Brown. dark

So Ben Simmons, if you are reading this, I have a challenge for you. I know Brett Brown wants you to put up a 3 point shot a game, but what I, and fans across the 215 would really like to see: A monster slam a game down the stretch. In a game built on energy, speed, and emotion, there is no more exciting way to put up two points in basketball than a dunk, and you, my friend, have the potential to be a Michael Jordan-esque jammer.