Russ handled the Ben Simmons post the other day, the video from trainer Chris Johnson that showed the Sixers point guard shooting (and making) a couple of jump shots during a pickup game.

It was great to see. Just shoot it, yeah? Doesn’t matter whether it’s a pickup game or not, because Ben’s just got to be in the mindset of taking those open looks in a 5v5 setting. I’ve said about 100 times on here that Simmons with a reliable jumper is a perennial All-Star with a skill set that puts him on a path to replicate what Giannis Antetokounmpo is doing at age 24, having played a few more NBA seasons than Ben has.

But I still struggle with Ben’s mechanics, which look perfect for a right-hander. Unfortunately he’s shooting the ball with his left hand, and therefore you’re still seeing his left elbow flare out a bit, resulting in some side spin on his release and a form that looks like this:

That’s very nice upper body form for a righty. Elbow tucked, typical release point, feet straight. But of course he’s pushing with his left hand instead, wherein the problem lies.

Regarding that rotation, the side spin, you can see it in this clip below, after the jump:


You would see that from time to time on free throws and jump shots where he just had trouble keeping the left elbow in.

To his credit, Ben did improve his free throw percentage last year, finishing at 60% on the season after shooting 56% his rookie year. He did make more of a concerted effort to keep the elbow in and bend his feet, which was evidenced early in training camp that year. 

I think the question we really need to ask ourselves is this:

Does it even matter at this point?

Do Ben’s mechanics need to be broken down and rebuilt again? Do we even have time to do that? Maybe we just say, ‘listen, it doesn’t matter what the shot looks like if it goes in on a consistent basis.’

I think the latter thought is where we’ve arrived in 2019, and that’s okay, because Ben Simmons certainly would not be the first NBA star to exhibit a funky release. Shawn Marion, you’ll recall, used to shot put the ball with a unique two-handed “push” and low release, like this:

Marion won an NBA title and finished his career as a 33% three point shooter if you can believe it. He was an 81% free throw shooter and according to Basketball Reference hit at 37.5% on shots from 16 feet to the three point line. Marion certainly made it work with his unique shooting form.

Reggie Miller also had a quirky release, using his off-hand thumb to help power his shot. Marcus Camby’s motion was unorthodox, though he went on to shoot above 35% on mid-range jump shots. Bill Cartwright used to shoot the basketball with a form that looked like this:

Ugly! But Cartwright shot 77% from the line during his career, which is certainly good enough.

So to bring it back to Simmons, is it really feasible to break down Ben’s mechanics, re-train his shot, and try to go through that process again? Or do we just relegate ourselves to the fact that he’s uniquely built and feels more comfortable shooting with his left hand?

There may not be a choice. Feels like we’re gonna ride or die with the left-handed release, but nobody will care if the ball goes in.