Sixers' Ben Simmons Isn't Discouraged Over Poor Free Throw Shooting

Ask Doc Rivers, and he'll tell you that Ben Simmons holds too much value on the floor for the Philadelphia 76ers to be constantly criticized due to his shooting. The Sixers head coach's most recent rant on the topic brought up some valid points.

At this point in his career, Simmons made it clear he's focused on being a playmaker, and his scoring isn't a top priority. Instead, he's focused on creating scoring. Throughout the first-round playoff series against the Washington Wizards, Simmons' playmaking abilities have been phenomenal.

But he hasn't been flawless. Although Simmons wasn't frequently fouled in the first three games, he did go to the free-throw line nine times. The three-time All-Star missed every single attempt. Going into Game 4, Wizards head coach Scott Brooks discussed the idea of potentially throwing the Sixers out of their rhythm on offense by intentionally fouling Simmons, forcing him to try and beat the Wizards from the line.

It went as expected. Simmons collected 11 total foul shots on Monday night during Game 4. He drained only five of them. While many factors played into the Sixers' only loss in the postseason so far, Simmons' struggles from the line were at the forefront of the loss as he drew tons of criticism.

However, Simmons isn't blind to the fact that he's been off in this series when it comes to free shots. Knowing he needs to and can get better, Simmons remains confident moving forward as the Sixers will face Washington for Game 5 on Wednesday night in South Philly.

“[I] just [need to] step up and knock them down, for real,” Simmons said after the Game 4 loss. “That’s about it. I’m not discouraged going to the line, so I got to knock them down. It is what it is. So, I just got to step up and knock them down.”

Washington's desperate strategy could show its face once more in Game 5 if the Wizards need to resort to it again. If that's the case, Simmons isn't upset. Understanding that his free throw shooting is certainly a weakness in this series, Simmons gets why it's become part of the game plan for the Wizards.

Despite draining just 25-percent of his free throws in the last four games, Simmons makes it clear he's not getting discouraged. As the series returns to Philly, the veteran guard will be in a better environment for himself just in case Washington decides to send him to the line more times than desired for the Sixers on Wednesday night.

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