How Sixers' Ben Simmons Can Improve Further, According To Coach Brett Brown

Ben Simmons enjoyed an impressive debut season with the Philadelphia 76ers last season, but head coach Brett Brown wants to see him get even better in the upcoming 2018/19 NBA season.

The 22-year-old posted an average of 15.8 points, 8.1 rebounds and 8.2 assists in 81 regular season games as he helped the Sixers finish as the No. 3 seed and later reach the semifinals of the Eastern Conference during the playoffs.

His exploits also saw him get awarded the 2018 NBA Rookie of the Year despite competition from Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, while Simmons also made the All-Rookie First Team that year.

However, there were certainly areas of improvements for the Melbourne native, particularly when it came to his shooting. For one, Simmons did not score a single three-pointer during the regular or postseason of his 12 attempts and also went 70 for 230 (30.4 percent) from 10 feet and beyond — something he is working to improve with his brother Liam.

"I think the man-hours he has put in is impressive," Brown said Tuesday during a media luncheon. "When I see him in the gym now, you can see that he's a more confident player. His jump shot's not going to define him. At some point, it will sure help."

"But I have aspirations, ambitions for him where I want him to feature on an all-defensive team. I personally want to post him more. I look forward to using him as a screener and giving Markelle [Fultz] the ball and let him roll out of it, that Blake Griffin-sort of half-roll and go to dunk."

Simmons could also use some work on his free throws.

He made just 191 of 341 attempted free throws last season for an average of 56 percent, well below the league average of 76.7 percent, and Brown believes getting that extra point could be a decisive factor in games.

"Imagine if he can score one more point, it translates to like three to five more wins," Brown explained. "When I look at how you're going to do that, that's one way that interests me, let's just get him more free throws. Can you finish, can you be a better free-throw shooter than you were in the regular season? He has to be."

The 2017 No. 1 draft pick, Fultz, who played in just 14 regular season games last season due to injury, has also struggled with his shooting. Could he and Simmons play together in the upcoming season?

"At (some) point of the game, is it the start, is it ending, those two guys will play together," Brown added. "There's zero doubt we'll go through some growing pains as everyone expects and should expect."

Meanwhile, the Sixers have hired former player Elton Brand as their new general manager.

Brand was recently promoted to Vice President of Basketball Operations and will reportedly take up his new role on Thursday. He replaces Bryan Colangelo who resigned earlier in the summer following a Twitter scandal.