Ben Simmons’ career trajectory has not gone how people imagined. After winning the Rookie of the Year award in 2018, Simmons made 3 consecutive All-Star teams playing for the Philadelphia 76ers. It looked like Philly had found their next franchise player to build around. But everything went downhill for the 3-time All-Star during the 2021 Eastern Conference Semi-Finals.

Passing up a wide-open layup in the most crucial minutes of Game 7 against the Atlanta Hawks, Ben Simmons’ fear of shooting the ball came back to haunt him. He has not been able to return to his former All-Star self after the 2021 series. Retired NBA player Kenyon Martin had a simple piece of advice for Ben Simmons to get back to being an All-Star.

Kenyon Martin’s advice to Struggling Ben Simmons

Ex-All-Star Kenyon Martin had some wise words for the Brooklyn Nets guard in the latest episode of Gil’s Arena, hosted by Gilbert Arenas. When asked about what Ben Simmons needs to do to get back to All-Star level, the NBA legend said, “He’s got a certain skill set that you can’t teach.” Martin praised Simmons’ versatile skills of defending, passing, speed, and athleticism. At 6’10”, Simmons is one of the tallest guards in the NBA. That alone gives him an advantage over most point guards in the NBA.

Simmons’ unique skills helped overshadow his lack of shooting ability during the regular season. But it is constantly exploited during the playoffs. Martin talked about Simmons’ shooting struggles, “Get in the gym, Shoot the Bi**h. If you get in the game, shoot the Bi**h. If you miss it, you f***ing miss it.” Ben Simmons needs to get rid of the mental block while shooting the basketball. Even attempting shots during the game will help him build his confidence. He has the ability to recover on defense in case he misses the shot. “Get a stop.” Martin added, in case Simmons misses his shot.

Gilbert Arenas claims Ben Simmons can shoot

Gilbert Arenas revealed that he has seen Ben Simmons working out 10-12 times and is surprised when he sees him shoot the ball. “When he is shooting three, perfect form. Everything.” Arenas claimed that Ben’s ability to shoot the ball during workouts confuses him as to why he does not shoot during the game. According to Arenas, part of Ben Simmons’ struggles could be because of depth perception. He might have a problem analyzing his shot in a bigger arena as compared to closed gyms.

Read More: “Out of Brooklyn?”: Betrayed by Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, Ben Simmons Reveals Details About His Nets’ Future

Simmons has also been dealing with a back injury that started in 2020. He claims that it affected his performance and confidence in Philly. The 27-year-old also faced a lot of trolling and online bullying because of his performance in the 2021 playoffs. All of this combined has resulted in the downfall of the former Rookie of the Year.

Ben Simmons recently revealed that he has no plans of parting ways with the Brooklyn Nets. He is feeling 100 percent healthy and is set to make a comeback next season. Fans hope to see Simmons back playing at an All-Star level. He showed signs of greatness early in his career, and analysts compared him with Magic and LeBron. Hopefully, Simmons will take Kenyon Martin’s advice and make a huge comeback in the 2023-24 season.

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