Editor’s Note: This article was submitted before the 76ers’ game against the Milwaukee Bucks on 3/17. It does not include Simmons’ 0-for-2 performance from the line in that game. However, because it was only two attempts, the game would not have meaningfully affected the analysis.
While our attention was elsewhere, Ben Simmons has become a solid free-throw shooter. In his Rookie of the Year campaign Simmons hit a mere 56% of his free throws. Thankfully this is above the 52% or so at which fouling his is a positive-expected-return move by the defense, leading to endless Hack-A-Whoever.