NBA evaluators had one theory for why Brooklyn Nets star Ben Simmons is so hesitant around the basket.
ESPN's Brian Windhorst said Thursday on NBA Today some scouts "believe the reason that 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."
Simmons is a 59.6 percent free-throw shooter and is 3-of-9 from the charity stripe to open the 2022-23 season.
It's easy to see why somebody outside the team would come to that conclusion.
Simmons' vision and playmaking are two of his stronger attributes on offense. There will inevitably be times he passes the ball off when others would've pulled up or driven to the basket. At this point, we can assume he'll simply never be much of a shooter, too.