Danny Green taking it upon himself to improve Ben Simmons’ shooting

The Philadelphia 76ers got Danny Green to help with their shooting, but can he help Ben Simmons too?

It’s not often that a teammate is able to make a profound difference in helping another teammate shoot better; after all, that’s what NBA teams have shooting coaches for. However, with Danny Green joining the Philadelphia 76ers, the well-known sharpshooter seems committed to helping Ben Simmons become a bit more respectable from long range.

Appearing on the “Inside the Green Room” podcast, Green talked about how the Los Angeles Lakers’ scouting report against the Sixers always revolved around making Simmons and Joel Embiid beat them from the outside.

Heading into the 2020-21 campaign as Simmons’ teammate, Green will be encouraging Philly’s two starts to let it fly more often from beyond the arc.

“I’m challenging not just Joel but Ben to not worry about percentages, especially early in the clock, early in the game,” he said. “You can’t be afraid to take those jumpers and keep a defense honest. Mind you, you shoot it pretty well. We see it in practice, we see you shooting online, we see highlights and clips — you’re not a bad shooter, it’s all confidence and mental.

“So I’m gonna try to take it upon myself to challenge him to put himself in some uncomfortable situations or positions to make himself more comfortable doing those things, and that may be taking at least one corner 3 a game just to keep the defense honest.”

Can Danny Green help Ben Simmons gain confidence as a shooter?

It’s not Green’s job to give Simmons more confidence as a shooter, but perhaps having a well-respected marksman and 3-time champion in his ear will make more of a difference. Simmons made his first and second NBA 3-pointers last season, but he only attempted seven overall. His 2-for-7 mark for the year made him 2-for-24 through his first three seasons.

For reference, Green has attempted 3,205 3-pointers over the course of his 11-year career, making 40 percent of them. Having a teammate like that won’t suddenly transform Simmons into a long-range sniper overnight, but it could at least encourage him to dip his toe in the water a bit more than last season.