76ers' Ben Simmons is Finally Ready to Step Outside His Comfort Zone

Before, Philadelphia 76ers point guard Ben Simmons was hesitant to shoot threes. However, he recently mentioned he's ready to step outside of his comfort zone.

"Shoot a three, you coward!" became NBA fans, and Ben Simmons haters' favorite line to use for the Philadelphia 76ers point guard after the 2017-2018 NBA Playoff run. As an NBA point guard, Simmons is expected to shoot from mid to long-range -- but the two-time All-Star hasn't felt confident enough to unleash his shot just yet.

Instead, Simmons has been focusing on mastering the skills he's good at, such as passing and defending. That mindset has drawn tons of criticism from fans all over as many have grown frustrated with Simmons' unwillingness to shoot the ball outside of his comfort zone. 

While Simmons did push boundaries by attempting a couple of three-pointers throughout the 2019-2020 season, the third-year guard clearly wasn't ready to unlock his untapped potential just yet -- even after his head coach practically begged him to try.

"You can pass this along to his agent, family, friends, and to him," Sixers' coach Brett Brown said back in December after Simmons knocked down his second three-pointer of the season. "I want a three-point shot a game -- minimum. The pull-up twos -- I'm fine with whatever is open. But I'm interested in the three-point shot."

Simmons not only failed to take at least one three-point shot in every game; he hasn't even attempted a single one since his head coach publicly called him out for it. "I have failed," Brown admitted a month later. "It's something we're all mindful of. This is one of those things that is never going away. The attention that this has received is remarkable. You know, I own it. I gotta help him find this."

Why the Hesitation?

Ben Simmons is a confident player. Oftentimes, fans and critics of his tend to call the former No. 1 pick cocky for the way he presents himself. Deep down, though, Simmons has his insecurities and knows his own weaknesses. While Simmons understands he can shoot the three-ball, the Sixers' guard is somewhat of a perfectionist. So the idea of not shooting at a high percentage seems to rattle Simmons a bit. 

"Ben loves to be efficient," says Simmons' brother, Sean Tribe, according to ESPN's Jackie MacMullan. "He wants to make the correct move -- not the wrong move -- and sometimes that's a hindrance. You need to experiment with things, and sometimes you might fail. The acceptance of failure is something Ben needs to be comfortable with. That will come along through hard times, experiences of losing."

Fans have been begging for Simmons to shoot consistently. Although he claims he doesn't hear the crowd or listen to what's said, Simmons has acknowledged there's "a little too much emphasis" on his lack of chucking up threes. At the same time, though, he understands the potential that comes with unlocking this part of his game.

"I know it's going to come," Simmons said. "It's a matter of me being comfortable doing it. I've got to make it a point of emphasis. I could be one of those guys shooting 30% right now. But I'd rather be one of those guys shooting 40%."

Not for a second was Simmons going to let the outside noise force him to attempt something he's not totally comfortable with yet. While that mindset might've frustrated fans, critics, coaches, or even teammates in the past, the two-time All-Star is finally turning a corner. "I feel like I want to take [threes] now, Simmons told MacMullan. "I've prepped so much for it; when I do it, it will work."

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_