Jonathon Simmons is trying to expand his game and provide the team some needed grit. But his shot has left him recently and the team is struggling for it.
The ball swung to Jonathon Simmons in the corner early in Wednesday’s game against the Houston Rockets. It was exactly the extra passing the Orlando Magic needed and exactly the kind of shot they wanted to get for Simmons.
He came to Orlando on a seemingly cheap three-year deal. He posted a crazy run to end the San Antonio Spurs’ playoff run last year and seemed poised to breakout. And the Magic were going to be the team that allowed that breakout.
Simmons was not a ready-made All-Star player. He could have been a stellar second unit player and someone who challenges to start. The Magic were confident they were getting a diamond in the rough — or a roughly cleaned diamond that still needed some shining.
On Wednesday, Simmons was looking to make good on this shot. An aspect of his game that has always needed some improvement — he is shooting just 32.0 percent in his career.
Simmons went through a stretch where he drained 3-pointers at a high rate, but that has slowly dissipated. And on that shot early in the first quarter, Simmons missed. That has been a common refrain for him — something that has dated from before the losing streak it seems.
Simmons is struggling to hit his shots. And as Orlando falls further and further into the hole, having one of the team’s key starters struggling to create and make open shots has been a big drag to the team’s starting lineup.
The raw stats will say Simmons is having a career year. And indeed with consistent minutes off the bench and in the starting lineup (20 starts in 39 games), Simmons is posting career highs with 14.3 points per game, 3.9 rebounds per game and 2.3 assists per game with a 50.0 percent effective field goal percentage.
Orlando Magic
He has been a lot of what the Magic expected. But, not quite everything the team has needed. Especially as injuries have overtaken the team.
In his last 10 games, Simmons is averaging just 11.6 points per game, shooting 39.3 percent from the floor and 24.2 percent from beyond the arc.
Since entering the starting lineup in late November, Simmons has had his moments. Particularly with all the injuries when the Magic relied on him as their primary perimeter scorer.
But Simmons has also struggled in that time, averaging 14.6 points per game but shooting 43.1 percent from the floor and 28.8 percent from beyond the arc.
Simmons has lost his shot and is struggling.
The Orlando Magic may not have a choice but to play him — he is questionable for Saturday’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers with back spasms. But they certainly need to see Simmons become more efficient.
The place to start might be with his attacking of the basket.
"“Keep attacking,” Simmons said after Wednesday’s loss to the Houston Rockets. “I think with not getting a lot of calls, it takes away my aggression sometimes. Just keep attacking and keep putting it on the refs to call those calls.”"
Simmons is averaging 2.7 free throw attempts per game since becoming a starter in late November. He is averaging 3.4 free throw attempts per game this season.
But there is something to his lack of drives and efficiency in drives. Simmons has taken 171 of his 459 field goal attempts (37.2 percent) within five feet, the highest frequency of any shot attempt.
The struggles are apparent in his last 10 games though. He is shooting just 55.6 percent on shots within five feet (still at a high 38.5 percent frequency). But Simmons is shooting just 2 of 13 from 5-9 feet.
For the season, Simmons leads the team with 10.7 drives per game (a drive is defined by NBA.com as any time a ball handler goes from 20 feet from the basket to 10 feet from the basket or closer). He is shooting 44.9 percent from the floor on those shots.
In the last 10 games, Simmons is averaging 8.8 drives per game and is shooting 34.3 percent on those drives.
In the starting lineup, Elfrid Payton has taken more control of the ball, moving Jonathon Simmons into a different role. This season he averages 2.6 field goal attempts on catch and shoot opportunities, making only 35.0 percent of his shots. The last 10 games, Simmons shot 3.2 catch-and-shoot field goal attempts per game and made just 28.1 percent.
It would seem any way that you cut it, Simmons is struggling to convert on the shots that he is best at. His production has fallen off as his shot has fallen off.
It was always a little bit too ambitious to expect Simmons to change completely as a player. He was always a hard driver and streaky shooter. The Magic put the ball in his hands and asked a lot of him. Perhaps a bit too much in some respects.
Simmons has worked to expand his game and explore how far he can take it. Little dips in his play — both in his shooting and his efficiency — are expected here and there as he continues to grow.
But things have obviously taken a turn south.
Would moving him back to the bench help unlock his play more? He averaged 14.0 points per game (less than as a starter) but shot 49.7 percent from the floor and 37.2 percent from beyond the arc.
Vogel admitted everything is up in the air when you are not winning, but Simmons would remain in the starting lineup.
It is clear for now the Magic need Simmons’ shooting and driving to get their offense going. The team’s spacing is depressed right now as Simmons struggles to make those threes.
Next: In a make or miss league, the Orlando Magic are missing
Orlando will need Simmons to step up his game and find his shot to get the Magic back on track.