The Ben Simmons Megathread - Part III

Negrodamus · Post #721 » by **Negrodamus** » Sun Jul 14, 2019 3:50 am

Based on his latest Instagram posts, doesn’t appear to be changing hands. I guess the right hand truthers will be disappointed another season.

76ciology · Post #722 » by **76ciology** » Sun Jul 14, 2019 7:28 am

Now that he has a supermax contract, suddenly he isn’t going to play for his national team? Not that it’s good news to me and im complaining

PhillyPhilly · Post #723 » by **PhillyPhilly** » Sun Jul 14, 2019 8:05 am

Negrodamus wrote:Based on his latest Instagram posts, doesn’t appear to be changing hands. I guess the right hand truthers will be disappointed another season.

Old news, I posted about him not changing hands last week. If he insists on keeping it left handed then that's his business... just don't step on the floor next season and refuse to shoot again...give the "he shouldn't change hands" folks evidence that they are right.

Tomjas · Post #724 » by **Tomjas** » Sun Jul 14, 2019 9:03 am

76ciology wrote:Now that he has a supermax contract, suddenly he isn’t going to play for his national team? Not that it’s good news to me and im complaining

It’s not supermax, was inevitable and 29 other teams would give him the same contract

moistie · Post #725 » by **moistie** » Sun Jul 14, 2019 11:36 am

Sixerscan wrote:

Read on Twitter

Our Australian friends may not like this but probably for the best for us next year. He can play in the Olympics.

Australia has to qualify for the Olympics first by being the highest ranked Asian team at the FIBA world cup. While we have a strong team, nothing is guaranteed. Especially now Ben isn't playing.

There will be hell to pay if we don't qualify for the Olympics.

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mjkvol · Post #726 » by **mjkvol** » Sun Jul 14, 2019 12:12 pm

Lou_23 wrote:

Read on Twitter

That would be among the best news of the off season. The last thing we need is everyone analyzing every shot the kid takes in games that are meaningless (as far as the big picture here, at least). I want him in the bunker working on his jumper, right hand handle, and low post game until training camp starts.

mjkvol · Post #727 » by **mjkvol** » Sun Jul 14, 2019 12:28 pm

Ericb5 wrote:I still think that him shooting 3’s in any real way is still several years away.

This past year he went from 56% to 60% with his free throws. If he can make a similar improvement this year he would be at 64%. That would already be good enough to make deliberate fouling of him not productive.

He really only needs to get to about 70% eventually for it to no longer be a weakness at all. By the age of 25 he should be shooting it at that rate.

With the jumper he is basically starting from zero. As I have said so many times, he has several obvious flaws in his mechanics and they can’t all be fixed in a single off season imo.

If he could just fix his problems from the waist down this year where he is always squared up, and jumping straight up and down with out flailing his legs out, and then commits himself to deliberately taking open jump shots in the 10-15 foot range then he will be a much better player right away.

He needs repetition, coaching, and patience, which will lead to confidence. My expectations on his jumper this year are very modest. Just improved balance, and increased attempts is what I’m realistically looking for.

Then in each of the following few off-seasons he would hopefully make similar modest gains each summer and eventually he won’t have it as a glaring weakness. I don’t expect his jumper to ever be a strength.

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This x 1000.

There is so much noise about Simmons "coming back with a jumper" that it seems there are going to be ridiculously unrealistic expectations from fans right out of the gate, and the fear is if he misses several in the first few games the boos might chase him right back to his 'safe zone' of not shooting at all.

How many players who struggled with perimeter shooting and FT% changed it all in one off season? I would have to guess that the answer is zero. To expect this kid to come back and fill it up from deep are downright crazy, but in this age of immediate gratification, and with the expectations of this Sixers team being sky high, I'm afraid that's what the average fan will be looking for.

If he is simply not afraid to take some wide open perimeter shots (especially midrange shots - threes aren't necessary) and makes a few of them so it is no longer an automatic afterthought for defenses, and he can continue to improve his FT% (67-68%), but combines that with an increased arsenal in the low post, I for one will be more than satisfied.

It's going to be an ongoing process (pun intended) with Ben and his perimeter game, and the kid is 22. If by age 25 he is a solid 72-73% FT shooter and anywhere around 30-32% from deep, I believe that would be considered a success.

Tomjas · Post #728 » by **Tomjas** » Sun Jul 14, 2019 12:51 pm

moistie wrote:
Sixerscan wrote:

Read on Twitter

Our Australian friends may not like this but probably for the best for us next year. He can play in the Olympics.
Australia has to qualify for the Olympics first by being the highest ranked Asian team at the FIBA world cup. While we have a strong team, nothing is guaranteed. Especially now Ben isn't playing.

There will be hell to pay if we don't qualify for the Olympics.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

Not at all

Participation rates are going through the roof and nobody cares about the national team

Slacktard · Post #729 » by **Slacktard** » Sun Jul 14, 2019 2:21 pm

No offense to Australians... But not making the Olympics means Simmons isn't cramming more non-Sixer bball into next offseason and could just focus on continued practicing on his game so I got no prob with that either.

LordCovington33 · Post #730 » by **LordCovington33** » Sun Jul 14, 2019 2:29 pm

Slacktard wrote:No offense to Australians... But not making the Olympics means Simmons isn't cramming more non-Sixer bball into next offseason and could just focus on continued practicing on his game so I got no prob with that either.

Australia will qualify, regardless of Simmons. Simmons is more yankee than Aussie, so nothing surprises me with him. That said, I rather a healthy Simmons for the Sixers run than see him risk injury for a meaningless medal at a World Cup.

Post #731 » by **Sixerscan** » Sun Jul 14, 2019 2:50 pm

Yeah, Australia got 4th in the last Olympics, even without Ben they still have a bunch of NBA players, and there's no other "Asia" team ranked in the top 25 of FIBA. They should have no issue qualifying.

moistie · Post #732 » by **moistie** » Mon Jul 15, 2019 1:03 am

Tomjas wrote:
moistie wrote:
Sixerscan wrote:

Read on Twitter

Our Australian friends may not like this but probably for the best for us next year. He can play in the Olympics.
Australia has to qualify for the Olympics first by being the highest ranked Asian team at the FIBA world cup. While we have a strong team, nothing is guaranteed. Especially now Ben isn't playing.

There will be hell to pay if we don't qualify for the Olympics.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

Not at all

Participation rates are going through the roof and nobody cares about the national team

No one cares about the National team? bull. The last time we played NZ with our NBA players we sold out Rod Laver. There's enough interest to hold a game verses Team USA at Marvel Stadium with 50,000+ in attendance. .

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Negrodamus · Post #733 » by **Negrodamus** » Mon Jul 15, 2019 1:34 am

moistie wrote:
Sixerscan wrote:

Read on Twitter

Our Australian friends may not like this but probably for the best for us next year. He can play in the Olympics.
Australia has to qualify for the Olympics first by being the highest ranked Asian team at the FIBA world cup. While we have a strong team, nothing is guaranteed. Especially now Ben isn't playing.

There will be hell to pay if we don't qualify for the Olympics.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

Cool, then we'll gladly take him on the US team when he's hitting his prime if Australia feels obligated to punish him for not playing.

flat_eric · Post #734 » by **flat_eric** » Mon Jul 15, 2019 4:21 am

LordCovington33 wrote:
Slacktard wrote:No offense to Australians... But not making the Olympics means Simmons isn't cramming more non-Sixer bball into next offseason and could just focus on continued practicing on his game so I got no prob with that either.

Australia will qualify, regardless of Simmons. Simmons is more yankee than Aussie, so nothing surprises me with him. That said, I rather a healthy Simmons for the Sixers run than see him risk injury for a meaningless medal at a World Cup.

Certainly not meaningless to many fans in Australia. In fact, given it is a standalone focused competition, from a basketball perspective the World Cup is arguably a better tournament than the Olympics.

The majority of fans here have a closer affinity with the national team than an NBA team based in a city they have never visited.

I love the Sixers, but it would have been great to see Simmons representing the green and gold on the world stage. There will be a lot of disappointed ticket holders who purchased tickets to the big exhibition games against USA in his hometown of Melbourne.

As much as I understand the reasons for pulling out (should that occur), it has been handled poorly given Simmons previously declared on Twitter that he would be playing.

Simmons25 · Post #735 » by **Simmons25** » Mon Jul 15, 2019 4:25 am

moistie wrote:
Sixerscan wrote:

Read on Twitter

Our Australian friends may not like this but probably for the best for us next year. He can play in the Olympics.
Australia has to qualify for the Olympics first by being the highest ranked Asian team at the FIBA world cup. While we have a strong team, nothing is guaranteed. Especially now Ben isn't playing.

There will be hell to pay if we don't qualify for the Olympics.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

Australia qualify through Oceania... not Asia. They literally only have to beat New Zealand which they could do with 1 arm tied behind their backs. I don't think Ben Simmons is going to be the difference maker there.

Simmons25 · Post #736 » by **Simmons25** » Mon Jul 15, 2019 4:31 am

flat_eric wrote:
LordCovington33 wrote:
Slacktard wrote:No offense to Australians... But not making the Olympics means Simmons isn't cramming more non-Sixer bball into next offseason and could just focus on continued practicing on his game so I got no prob with that either.

Australia will qualify, regardless of Simmons. Simmons is more yankee than Aussie, so nothing surprises me with him. That said, I rather a healthy Simmons for the Sixers run than see him risk injury for a meaningless medal at a World Cup.

Certainly not meaningless to many fans in Australia. In fact, given it is a standalone focused competition, from a basketball perspective the World Cup is arguably a better tournament than the Olympics.

The majority of fans here have a closer affinity with the national team than an NBA team based in a city they have never visited.

I love the Sixers, but it would have been great to see Simmons representing the green and gold on the world stage. There will be a lot of disappointed ticket holders who purchased tickets to the big exhibition games against USA in his hometown of Melbourne.

As much as I understand the reasons for pulling out (should that occur), it has been handled poorly given Simmons previously declared on Twitter that he would be playing.

It was always going to be a farce anyway. Basketball in a 56,000 seat football stadium. That's going to be fantastic viewing. Don't forget to bring your telescopes to see the game :lol:

Fans should have done their homework and known that the US never send a decent team to World Cups... Americans only care about the Olympics. It was always going to be a 2nd rate affair.

LordCovington33 · Post #737 » by **LordCovington33** » Mon Jul 15, 2019 6:22 am

flat_eric wrote:
LordCovington33 wrote:
Slacktard wrote:No offense to Australians... But not making the Olympics means Simmons isn't cramming more non-Sixer bball into next offseason and could just focus on continued practicing on his game so I got no prob with that either.

Australia will qualify, regardless of Simmons. Simmons is more yankee than Aussie, so nothing surprises me with him. That said, I rather a healthy Simmons for the Sixers run than see him risk injury for a meaningless medal at a World Cup.

Certainly not meaningless to many fans in Australia. In fact, given it is a standalone focused competition, from a basketball perspective the World Cup is arguably a better tournament than the Olympics.

The majority of fans here have a closer affinity with the national team than an NBA team based in a city they have never visited.

I love the Sixers, but it would have been great to see Simmons representing the green and gold on the world stage. There will be a lot of disappointed ticket holders who purchased tickets to the big exhibition games against USA in his hometown of Melbourne.

As much as I understand the reasons for pulling out (should that occur), it has been handled poorly given Simmons previously declared on Twitter that he would be playing.

I am from Australia, and people only care about Olympic Gold for basketball. Most do not give two hoots for a second rate tournament. The only World Cups that matter are football (soccer), cricket and rugby. If you were to ask the average fan who won the last basketball World Cup, they would guess the US, but only because they are dominant. Nobody (except you maybe) would know who won bronze and silver. Outside of the Olympics, nobody cares about national basketball. The last time it was in the media spotlight was that all-in brawl against the Philippines. Glad you care though.

sixerswillrule · Post #738 » by **sixerswillrule** » Mon Jul 15, 2019 1:31 pm

I didn't realize Julius Randle's big shooting improvement this past season. He was an awful shooter before that.

Come on Ben!

flat_eric · Post #739 » by **flat_eric** » Tue Jul 16, 2019 6:43 am

LordCovington33 wrote:
flat_eric wrote:
LordCovington33 wrote:Australia will qualify, regardless of Simmons. Simmons is more yankee than Aussie, so nothing surprises me with him. That said, I rather a healthy Simmons for the Sixers run than see him risk injury for a meaningless medal at a World Cup.

Certainly not meaningless to many fans in Australia. In fact, given it is a standalone focused competition, from a basketball perspective the World Cup is arguably a better tournament than the Olympics.

The majority of fans here have a closer affinity with the national team than an NBA team based in a city they have never visited.

I love the Sixers, but it would have been great to see Simmons representing the green and gold on the world stage. There will be a lot of disappointed ticket holders who purchased tickets to the big exhibition games against USA in his hometown of Melbourne.

As much as I understand the reasons for pulling out (should that occur), it has been handled poorly given Simmons previously declared on Twitter that he would be playing.

I am from Australia, and people only care about Olympic Gold for basketball. Most do not give two hoots for a second rate tournament. The only World Cups that matter are football (soccer), cricket and rugby. If you were to ask the average fan who won the last basketball World Cup, they would guess the US, but only because they are dominant. Nobody (except you maybe) would know who won bronze and silver. Outside of the Olympics, nobody cares about national basketball. The last time it was in the media spotlight was that all-in brawl against the Philippines. Glad you care though.

Rubbish. People who care about basketball in this country care about national basketball.

You appear to me to be the kind of fan that dismisses anything outside the NBA as not worthwhile. Many of those who have grown up with the game (playing, coaching or attending NBL games) thankfully have a very different perspective. The fact we are close to selling out football stadiums to watch international exhibition games is a testament to that.

LordCovington33 · Post #740 » by **LordCovington33** » Tue Jul 16, 2019 8:59 am

flat_eric wrote:
LordCovington33 wrote:
flat_eric wrote:
Certainly not meaningless to many fans in Australia. In fact, given it is a standalone focused competition, from a basketball perspective the World Cup is arguably a better tournament than the Olympics.

The majority of fans here have a closer affinity with the national team than an NBA team based in a city they have never visited.

I love the Sixers, but it would have been great to see Simmons representing the green and gold on the world stage. There will be a lot of disappointed ticket holders who purchased tickets to the big exhibition games against USA in his hometown of Melbourne.

As much as I understand the reasons for pulling out (should that occur), it has been handled poorly given Simmons previously declared on Twitter that he would be playing.

I am from Australia, and people only care about Olympic Gold for basketball. Most do not give two hoots for a second rate tournament. The only World Cups that matter are football (soccer), cricket and rugby. If you were to ask the average fan who won the last basketball World Cup, they would guess the US, but only because they are dominant. Nobody (except you maybe) would know who won bronze and silver. Outside of the Olympics, nobody cares about national basketball. The last time it was in the media spotlight was that all-in brawl against the Philippines. Glad you care though.

Rubbish. People who care about basketball in this country care about national basketball.

You appear to me to be the kind of fan that dismisses anything outside the NBA as not worthwhile. Many of those who have grown up with the game (playing, coaching or attending NBL games) thankfully have a very different perspective. The fact we are close to selling out football stadiums to watch international exhibition games is a testament to that.

They were hoping to see the NBA stars shown on the posters, not Bogut and the NBL All Stars lol

Glad you enjoy lower level national games and think they are just as important as the Rugby or Football World Cup, though that is not the sentiment of most fans. Just finished 5-on-5 at the local court, and not one knew where Australia finished at the last World Cup.