‘Ain’t Afraid of Nothing’: Charles Barkley on What Ben Simmons Should Learn from Giannis Antetokounmpo

It takes years to build a castle and seconds to demolish it. Well, no one better than players like Dennis Schroder and Ben Simmons would relate to this thought. Until last year, Ben Simmons was a DPOY favorite before recently turning himself into a mere joke.

The NBA playoffs 2021 series between Hawks and Sixers would always dangle in front of Ben’s eyes as a nightmarish fortnight. Because of it and all the criticism that followed, the star now wants out of Philly as badly as James Harden wanted out of Houston. And while this situation is far from settling, NBA analysts are making it even tougher for Ben to take a breather.

Charles Barkley compares Giannis Antetokounmpo to Ben Simmons

Charles Barkley, a loyal Philadelphia Sixers comrade, is stuck with the argument that a player making $200 million must know how to shoot. He recently discussed his disappointment in Ben Simmons’ demands and added a comparative angle to it.

The NBA on TNT host dragged Giannis Antetokounmpo into the conversation to make his point. He detailed, “When he passes up that layup, you think he’s gonna get fouled or Philadelphia has him standing in the corner. The one thing I admire about Giannis, that dude don’t give a damn if he misses a hundred free throws… I tell people, that boy ain’t afraid of nothing. That’s why he’s my new favorite player.”

With this, Shaquille O’Neal also joined the narrative and cited the example of the Greek Freak’s NBA Finals air-balling. Both the star analysts agreed with each other as they pointed out the lack of confidence and focus in Simmons.

Read more – Why Charles Barkley Is Tired of Ben Simmons’ Annual Off-Season Workout Videos

How is the Greek Freak a good comparison for The Peacemaker?

Well, Giannis Antetokounmpo is world-famous for taking a painful amount of time in attempting his free throws and yet missing 40%+ of them. In the postseason 2021 too, he made just 58.7% of his FTs and continued with his shooting troubles. But he is called a freak for a reason and it has a lot to do with his self-confidence and unapologetic self.

Consider this, the 26-YO Champion averaged 3.3 three-point attempts in the recent playoffs even with the popular notion that he’s a poor long-range shooter. The result? He converted a paltry 18.6% of them, a percentage Steph Curry can get with his eyes closed. And yet, nothing can stop the Freak from relying on those shots even in a crucial game 7.

On the contrary, an under-confident Ben Simmons took just three shots in the fourth quarter in the Hawks series. So now, the Sixers might rather have CJ McCollum than continue with a player who would shoot better on Instagram than in game. Do you see this Ben going to Portland too? Help us know in the comments section below. 

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