Philadelphia 76ers: Kyle Korver isn’t a miracle worker
What was Ben Simmons‘ biggest problem with the Philadelphia 76ers?
He didn’t want to shoot 3s.
Now granted, could Simmons shoot 3s? Yes, as his summer workout videos and the rare occasion where he’d let it rip clearly showed, Simmons had the arm strength and dexterity to hoist the ball up and release it in an arc towards the basket, but for one reason or another – mostly fear of looking foolish – he just wouldn’t attempt the shots all that often, even when Brett Brown mandated at least one attempt per game during his ill-fated final run in 2019-20.
Could Simmons suddenly change his stripes and become a marksman in Brooklyn? I mean, probably not; chances are he’ll be used more in the frontcourt as a screener/slasher/cutter than a point guard expected to take open shots from the top of the arc, but if that does happen, it’ll be because of a change of mindset, not because he’s working closely with one of the best shooters to ever wear a Philadelphia 76ers uniform.
Pay Kyle Korver no mind, Philadelphia 76ers fans.
What made Kyle Korver a great shooter? Was it that A. He was a naturally gifted shooter? B. He took a ton of shots from beyond the arc or C. That he kept taking 3s even when they weren’t dropping?
*spoiler alert* the answer is all 3.
During his tenure with the Philadelphia 76ers from 2003-08, Korver attempted an average of 4.8 3s per game and made them at a 40.9 percent clip. Are those, like, all-time elite numbers? Maybe not the attempts, but any time a player hits more than 40 percent of their attempts from deep, especially over a 337 game stretch, it’s an impressive feat to be sure.
But how did Korver do it? Is it because he’s just naturally better at shooting 3s than most other players in the NBA? Well yes, Korver is one of the most naturally skilled shooters of his or any era and could probably still hit 3s at an above-average clip at the tender age of 40, but Korver was also both willing to take as many 3s as his team needed to get the job done and keep them flying even when the shots weren’t going in.
Did Korver have games where he shot the lights out of an arena? You bet, Korver has three career games with eight made 3s, three more with seven made 3s, and plenty more with six made 3s, but he’s also had three games where he missed 11 3s – all of which came as a member of the Sixers – in addition to nine more games with at least eight missed 3s. That, my friends, is where the shooter’s mindset comes in and why some players, like Korver, J.J. Redick, and Seth Curry can continue to let it fly when shots aren’t falling, while others, like Ben Simmons, avoid contact under the basket to avoid a trip to the line. If Korver was embarrassed to miss 3s, he wouldn’t have made 2,450 3s on his career – the fifth-most made 3s in NBA history – out of fear that he’d miss 3,265 of his total 5,715 attempts.
Do you know who isn’t afraid to miss 3s, let alone free throws? Yeah, that’d be Giannis Antetokounmpo. Does he make either shot at a high clip? No, not really; nine years into his NBA career, Antetokounmpo is a career 29 percent 3 point shooter and a 71.8 percent shooter from the line, but do you know what? He tries. In 2021-22, Antetokounmpo at least attempts 3.8 3s and 11.1 free throws per game, which thus forces teams to respect him as a shooter at least somewhat when Jrue Holiday has the ball.
If Simmons can get past his own fear of being embarrassed, maybe he too can become a “freakish” power forward for the Brooklyn Nets. But if not? Well, no amount of work with Kyle Korver, Ray Allen, or either Curry will make “Ben 10” an ace from deep.
dark. Next. Don’t rule out another addition post-Willie Cauley-Stein
Does it really matter to the Philadelphia 76ers if Ben Simmons develops a better shot? I mean, not really, unless, of course, he starts shooting 3s at a high percentage clip and really does become the next LeBron James. But since the chances of that happening are slim, any improvements the three-time All-Star can make at finishing around the rim or further will only go so far as his willingness to attempt shots will allow, which is arguably one of the biggest questions in the NBA today.