Surprising Reason Behind Ben Simmons' Hesitation To Shoot Revealed

Ben Simmons and the Brooklyn Nets have been off to a terrible start thus far with a 1-4 record, and many fans are pointing fingers at the former Philadelphia 76ers star's lack of aggression on the court.

There may finally be an explanation for it.

Court insider Brian Windhorst went on the NBA Today show and relayed to the panel what a couple of league scouts noticed with regard to Simmons.

"The scouts who have been dispatched to watch Ben Simmons closely believe the reason Ben Simmons doesn't go aggressive isn't because he's afraid of missing the shot as much as he's afraid of being fouled," Windhorst said.

He later mentioned how despite Kyrie Irving urging him to shoot, Simmons did not since there was a high chance of him getting fouled.

Another thing that scouts are reportedly bothered by is how Simmons reacts to being in foul trouble.

"I've talked to scouts who have watched repeatedly as Ben Simmons gets into foul trouble and gets pulled out of the game and they believe, I don't know if it's exactly how he (Simmons) feels... he almost looks like he's relieved to be coming out of the game at times," Windhorst later added.

Simmons is getting his first taste of NBA action since the 2021 playoffs as he sat out last season due to his holdout with Philadelphia and healing from a back injury to fix a herniated disk.

His history with not shooting the ball is well-known among NBA fans at this point, but many believed that he would return to being the perennial All-Star player that he was in Philadelphia this season.

It has not come to pass just yet as it looks like the Nets training staff will have to sort a lot of things out with the Australian point-forward.

Back in June of 2021, it was theorized that Simmons was suffering from the "yips" or a blockage of his "flow state," with the latter phenomenon being explained by Singapore-based orthopedic surgeon Dr. Sean Leo.

Leo explained to the International Business Times earlier in the month that the mental aspect of any sporting event is about as important as the physical aspect since a performer can be in great physical shape but could be overthinking everything placed in front of him which leads to a decrease in physical ability.

Granted that it was just a broad view of the scenario, Leo's assessment does make sense since Simmons appears to be struggling on the mental side of basketball, and not just the physical side since his gifts are still there–just locked away in his mind.

The Nets need All-Star-caliber Simmons back as soon as possible since the franchise took a chance on him during the James Harden trade, and they are looking to get out of the 1-4 hole they have dug themselves in.

If and when Simmons does find his footing, the Nets will be a force to be reckoned with in the Eastern Conference–though the likelihood of that happening is inching closer to the "if" side rather than the when based on what is happening currently.