NBA shooting coach Lethal Shooter says he’d be all-in on helping Ben Simmons rebuild his jumper, and he’s ready to make Sacramento the temporary home base for the project.
Matthews said he would love to spend the month with Simmons, rehabbing his jumper, a new skill that he's never trained.
"I would cancel everything I have on my schedule next month and move to Sacramento for bro," Matthews posted on X. "Real talk! I love helping others master The Art of Shooting."
Matthews has built a reputation working with NBA players over the last several seasons, including Anthony Davis, Jaylen Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. His work with Davis in the summer of 2019, after Davis was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, is the headline example. Davis’ mechanics changed, and he later shot 49.6% from mid-range in the 2020 NBA Bubble playoffs before winning his first ring next to LeBron James.
Simmons, meanwhile, is still dealing with the same ugly shooting look that has followed him for years. His left elbow flares out, his arm bends at nearly a 45-degree angle and the release comes off with an awkward flick.
That’s exactly the kind of project Matthews says he’d attack from the ground up. He would strip Simmons’ mechanics back to the basics and rebuild the shot from there, even though the 6-foot-10 forward never really developed that part of his game in the first place.
If Simmons ever becomes a real three-point threat, the Kings’ offense could open up in a big way. It would force defenders to treat him as a catch-and-shoot option and help maximize Sacramento’s spacing with Darius Acuff Jr. and Domantas Sabonis.
Still, the idea of a 30-year-old suddenly turning into a jumper-making threat comes with a reality check. He’s probably already close to his ceiling.
For Sacramento, Simmons’ value is elsewhere. He’s expected to be the bench’s lead playmaker when Darius Acuff Jr. sits, and his career numbers back up that role. He has averaged 7.2 assists over his career and around six assists in a reduced role.
He also gives the Kings a useful push in transition, able to grab-and-go and get the team into early fast-break offense. His scoring limitations are obvious, but Sacramento has enough shot-makers to cover for that.
Simmons’ resume still carries real weight. He won Rookie of the Year in 2017-18, made three straight All-Star teams from 2018 to 2020, and earned back-to-back All-Defensive First Team honors in 2019 and 2020.
And in camp, coach Doug Christie has already had plenty to like. Christie has praised Simmons as a standout at the Kings’ training camp, and Simmons has looked healthy enough to put himself in position to make a case to start next season.
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De'Andre Hunter Suddenly Looks Like A Huge Kings X Factor
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For Sacramento, that matters because Hunter brings exactly the kind of two-way flexibility the roster can use, especially on a team trying to get more versatile on defense without sacrificing scoring support. He spoke about that defensive versatility himself, and with an expiring contract in hand, he has a chance to make a strong early case that he can be more than a name in the middle of a trade package. [Read more 🡒]