Former Boomers coach Brian Goorjian believes Ben Simmons will never realise his full potential unless he overcomes his shooting struggles.
And the former long-time NBL coach believes the answer to Simmons' shooting woes could be for the Australian to switch hands.
Former No. 1 NBA draft pick Simmons has enjoyed a blistering start to his career, being named the league's Rookie of the Year in 2018 and this year winning his first All-Star selection as an Eastern Conference reserve, but his shooting ability remains a concern.
According to Second Spectrum, Simmons shot 20 percent on jumpshots this season, the second-worst in the NBA and by far the worst among guards. He is also the only guard in the 3-point era to make 1,000 shots in his first two seasons without making a three.
And because of the shooting deficiencies, Simmons had the shortest average shot attempt distance last season by a guard by a more than two feet, according to Second Spectrum.
Goorjian -- who coached the Boomers from 2001 to 2008 before moving to China where he still resides and coaches -- believes Simmons must do all he can to improve his weakness.
"I think he's got to fix it. He doesn't have to be [a shooter like] Steph Curry but he's got to be a threat from the perimeter," he told Melbourne radio station SEN .
"They talk about the Greek Freek [Giannis Antetokounmpo] kind of having the yips but you look at it and think 'he's going to be OK,' but Simmons' shot is broken.
"You have to work at it. Honestly, he's done some things .. I remember he once got a ball off the backboard, took a long dribble and threw the ball with his right hand the length of the court - the ball didn't go above head height ... and it hit the guy right in stride and he laid it in. I'm looking at him and thinking he could shoot the ball right handed.
"You could start all over with him, he's so talented. To me he looks like he could be a right-hand shooter but it's going to take time, it's broken. He's going to be an NBA superstar but there's a ceiling if he doesn't develop that three-point shot."
Goorjian said Simmons' commitment to play for the Boomers at the 2019 FIBA World Cup could inspire a run for a maiden tournament medal but his inclusion also brought with it some challenges for coach Andrej Lemanis.
Australia's squad also features fellow NBA talents Aron Baynes, Andrew Bogut, Jonah Bolden, Matthew Dellavedova, Joe Ingles and Patty Mills but Thon Maker, Ryan Broekhoff and Dante Exum will be missing.
"Everybody wants a medal ... they [the Boomers] knocked on the door last time and you're adding Simmons, Bolden ... you're looking at this and thinking 'this team definitely has a chance to medal' but it's going to be tough," he said.
"Team USA will get a medal, and right now I'm thinking Greece, Croatia, Serbia and Canada, who have as much [talent] as we do, [are medal possibilities].
"But the flip to this is, you're adding Ben Simmons and he is a really interesting international piece. He's an unbelievable talent but a different [type of player] - he's a 6"9 point guard who doesn't shoot from the perimeter, when previously you had 'Delly' and Patty Mills ... it's a whole different beast.
"Now you've gotta run different stuff and you'll be defended differently. Andrej will have to come up with systems to use him and you need time for that. So there's challenges ahead."