Ben Simmons spoke for the first time in training camp today, saying, It's important to make shots, but it's more important to win.

I think Doc and Sam will put me in the right positions in going with the flow of the game.

Obviously, a lot of changes now with the Sixers team Max.

How badly do the 70 Sixers need Simmons to get his jump shot in order?

They need it badly, because if Simmons could shoot, I like Philadelphia to get out of the Eastern Conference.

But he can't and he doesn't.

And guys, it's not even just shooting the three point shot.

I think a lot of people nowadays they hear analytics and they think, Well, that means free throws and three point shots right?

And nothing else, No mid range.

It's just like in baseball.

When they heard sabermetrics years ago, Billy being Moneyball, they thought it means on base percentage.

It's not what it means.

It means looking at playing efficiently.

So how do you do that?

Well, it depends how, what the rules are, how the game is being called, what kind of shots are contested and by how much, Right there giving Simmons a 15 ft or in.

If they're just gonna give that to you, take it it.

Forget about a three point shot for a second.

If Simmons just shot a mid range, he'd be impossible.

But he doesn't.

Everything comes in the paint, and nevertheless, he's a great player, a legitimately great player.

I thought he was the best defender in the league last year when he was healthy up to the point he got hurt.

I thought he was the defensive player of the year.

He's 6 ft 10 guys, and he's a great defender and energetic defender.

And on offense, he's created more open looks from three than anyone since he entered the league.

That's actually a fact, and he could do everything.

Everything except shoot.

If he adds a shot to his game, how do you stop Philadelphia?

Let me tell you something about Yeah, I'm a huge fan of Ben Simmons.

I think he's a jump shot away from being LeBron James part to this brother.

6 10.

Got a nasty handle.

Great basketball.

I Q.

Tremendous passing skills.

An elite defender.

He is something special, but that doesn't mean that he's immune to being ignorant from time to time and to sit up there and to say with a straight face.

It's not about shooting.

It's about winning.

Well, damn it.

How do you win?

You need to be able to shoot the ball.

Now, Kendrick Perkins.

You'll appreciate the point that I'm a proud.

I think you'll appreciate the point that I'm about to bring up.

And please put me on that screen because I wanna look at Kendrick Perkins.

What?

I'm saying this to him.

Somebody like you, Kendrick Perkins.

If you don't care about shooting, I appreciate that you weren't enforcer.

You defended, You rebounded.

You made sure guys came into the lane.

They was gonna feel your presence.

You understand?

I'm saying, you know the poor pierces of the world and the kgs of the world and the Ray Allen's of the world, you know, And to a lesser degree, to Rondo's of the World, they can focus on playing together, scoring, etcetera, etcetera.

Not that you aren't playing together, But what I'm trying to say is that scoring wasn't necessarily your responsibility, but in today's n b A, where you see the success of teams predicated on guard play and being formidable on the offensive end of the floor.

So you are a threat and you're not playing for on five basketball.

When you have the ball in your hands is something very significant.

Now I'm not talking about Ben Simmons being a marksman and all of a sudden jacking up threes or anything like that.

I'm trying to say work on that element of your game where at least you're a threat and they have to preoccupy themselves with you on the perimeter instead of stepping back into the lien and daring you to take a jump shot.

Those are the kind of things that will help elevate the potency off the Sixes offense, which could ultimately doing lied to them, doing exactly what you say it's all about, which is toe win basketball games.

And that's all I'm saying about Ben Simmons.

Be that threat work on that one element of your game because everything else is there.

Well, I have to disagree with you guys and I got to roll with Ben Simmons.

I don't see nothing that he said was wrong.

He's saying longest were playing, winning basketball and to your point, Max, he's 6 10 £250.

He's a position, a position of post position in this player.

He don't have a position.

He's not a guard.

He's not afford.

He could play all positions.

So with that being said, how about put him on the low block?

The man of double team, he has nice post moves on the low block.

He got a right hand hook.

He has a left hand hook.

He could face you up and take you off the dribble.

He's, uh he's athletic finisher around the basket.

How about putting them in high pick and rolls where you have him going up to set the screen rolling to the basket and you have Joe L and B Rolling to replace the pick and pop for the jump shot?

Because he's a better shooter is ways to implement Ben Simmons into the office to make Philly offense better without him shooting the damn basketball.

Now, when he is pushing the ball, how about the only time a lot of the times when he when he when he is pushing the ball, he's pushing it in transition, So he's thinking getting down here anyway.

And if you come and collapsed like you said.

He's great kicking it out.

So I'm with Ben Simmons.

He don't have to shoot the ball in order for the 76 is to be successful because he brings so much value in other areas that it could make up for.

And by the way, Like I said, he he's 6, 10, £250.

Put him on the block.

He got nice post moves.

If they come and double kick it out, you got shooters around you.

Now you just go from there.

They have another guy who could do that named Joel Embiid.

Here's the problem.

You have success when you say they could have success.

That's one thing.

Of course, they're gonna have success.

But how do you measure success for a team with two transcendent players in their primes and a G M?

Now, like more?

Who's surrounding them with shooting and efficient scoring, and guys who could defend success should be a championship, they're not going to do it.

If if Simmons doesn't shoot for one important reason, they will put him in the dunker spot, as they have in the playoffs.

You want Simmons with the ball in his hand.

And the problem is, Ah, guy with that kind of court vision, passing ability, handles at his size.

Everything like a basketball genius.

He needs the ball in his hands.

You want the ball in his hands, but you can't put him in that position if he can't shoot at all in the playoffs.

When those paint points aren't so easy to come by.

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