Ben Simmons Rumors: 76ers Star May Explore Switching Dominant Shooting Hand
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ESPN NBA reporter Brian Windhorst said Philadelphia 76ers point guard Ben Simmons may begin shooting with his non-dominant hand as the team tries to improve his ability to hit jump shots.
During a Monday appearance on SportsCenter, Windhorst said no decision has been made yet, but the left-handed-shooting Simmons is ambidextrous and will weigh the drastic change over the offseason. Earlier on Monday, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers said the team has a plan to work on Simmons’ ability to hit jumpers as well as free throws, but declined to provide specifics.
“I believe, without going into detail with what we’re doing, I believe we know what the right work is, and the right type of work, and the right way to do it,” Rivers said.
Former Sixers guard Markelle Fultz briefly experimented with switching from shooting right-handed to left-handed at the height of his own woes in 2017, but never made the transition in games.
Simmons took the brunt of the criticism for Philly’s Game 7 loss to the Atlanta Hawks that saw the East-winning Sixers bounced in the conference semifinals.
While the guard shot 62.1 percent from the field, he rarely relied on his jumper, instead attacking the rim for layups and dunks, which defenses grew accustomed to rather quickly. By the end of the 76ers’ playoff run, Simmons was an easy target to put on the free throw line, where he shot 52 percent for the postseason—an abysmal mark that hurt his team’s chances to advance.
