National Basketball Association

Ben Simmons Surgery Likely Allows Repairing Shot Mechanics

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 4:14 p.m. ET

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Ben Simmons is the unquestioned future of the Philadelphia 76ers. But since he is rehabbing his foot anyways, can team rework his shot to correct his only “flaw”?

In the 2016 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers had a choice from all prospects in that perspective draft. They not only chose the player most familiar to head coach Brett Brown, but the single player with the greatest potential.

But he had a flaw.

He arrived with questions about his shooting. The topic has come up often enough to warrant some pondering. Every rookie has something they must work at to achieve par with NBA caliber standards. For Simmons, it appears that his mountain will be working on his shooting.

#Sixers Ben Simmons on his shooting: ‘I’ve been working on my shot a lot. I can shoot the ball.’

— Tom Moore (@tmoore76ers) September 26, 2016

Perhaps he can shoot now. But the team may not be thrilled over his mechanics. If Ben Simmons will be rehabbing for the next several months, it would be a perfect occasion to work on perfecting his shot mechanics.

Sep 26, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Ben Simmons (25) dribbles the ball during media day at the Philadelphia 76ers Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Fix What Ain’t Broke… Yet

Ben Simmons has a date with destiny. Not only is he the face of the franchise, he is the heir apparent to running the team. He simply needs to emerge from his rookie cocoon and spread his wings, soaring as far as he can fly.

And take the team with him.

Before that happens, Brown wants to ensure his number one draft pick is prepared in every way.

Why would the team place the burden of working on his shot now? Well, the timing couldn’t be better, to be honest. As soon as Simmons hits the court in an NBA game, instincts will kick in. His shooting, flawed or not, will entrench. Since he has been sidelined with foot surgery, he has time to kill. Why not use that down time to improve his shot?

The optimal time to work on his shot mechanics would be now, before he hits the heat of the action. Only when he has good mechanics down would he have a chance of retaining those improvements in a game.

Jun 24, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers number one overall draft pick Ben Simmons (R) and his father David (M) and head coach Brett Brown (L) during an introduction press conference at the Philadelphia College Of Osteopathic Medicine. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

From Foot Doctor to Shot Doctor

So how does the top pick of an NBA Draft relearn his shot mechanics?

Perhaps it was a video specifically targeting Ben Simmons shot mechanics which has encouraged the head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers to mention this possibility. But it is this video which defines the anomalies of his shot, and targets the proper fixes to get it on track.

As you can tell, much of the work facing Ben Simmons in the NBA is on improving his shot mechanics and accuracy. That type of fix is simply repetition and feedback. That can happen standing, walking, or even sitting in a wheelchair.

We know that Ben Simmons can pass, rebound, steal, assist, and block. If he gets his shot to drain at will, he will be all that his reputation has boasted. By landing on the Philadelphia 76ers, he can take his time to get it right.

After all, this is a very patient fanbase.