OFFICIAL AROUND THE NBA THREAD - July 2021

Tell us more. Everything I've read indicates he's a high character guy, but I'm not that familiar with his game.

 

who is he beating out in the East?

probably the 'weakest' EC all-star was Zach Lavine:



look like LaVine has advantages in almost every area, although some are small

then, I think you have to factor in role. If CJ got traded to Philly (for Simmons) for instance, he's not going to be the clear #1b option on that team like he is for Portland. Embiid & Harris will be ahead of him in the pecking order. For chrissakes, he's not going to average 19 FGA's for Philly like he has for Portland. Embiid only averaged 17.6 and Harris only averaged 15. CJ's not joining that team and averaging 4 more shots than Harris. CJ was 14th in the NBA last season in shots/game. Olshey has made sure that CJ has remained a primary option for Portland. I really don't think that any team will want to trade for CJ in order to make him the 1st or 2nd offensive option

 

Darryl Moreyon can wish and hope all he wants. The bottom line is Simmons value is at an all time low. Philly fan didn't help that with a bonfire using Ben's jersey as kindling . They can 1: Keep him, and develop him. or 2: trade him, and get a borderline Allstar talent like CJ, or Brogdon, and another lower end talent or picks. IS WHAT IT IS PHILLY . Ben is worth the risk when teamed with the Best Leader in the game (DAME). Sorry Philly, key up Steven Tyler ,Dream On. Philly, Nat'l Media, and other NBA fans are delusional thinking Portland is going to trade their generational talent for SO-SO Cupcakes, and college players who haven't been potty trained.

 

He drafted two guards of late that could fit along Dame and my gut tells me they will both get some playing time if they are not part of a trade. CJE I expect to have a very good summer league, as its guard oriented and usually run and gun, right up his ally. As it is for most guards from Seattle.

 

I can understand that with the emphasis put on offense.

 

Morey is an offensive guy so he'll look for the best gun slinger he can find. He may have to throw in another to sweeten the pkg though.

 

If he were to go to Philly, for example, and if they were once again a top 2 seed, and he was averaging 20+ ppg? I think he gets a nod.

 

I think the thing to remember as well is, he'd be playing in Philly, or NY, not portland. He'd get far more attention playing out there for a winner than here.

 

I don't see, any way , Carlisle lets Sabonis go. Levert & Sabonis are the backbone of that team going forward.

 

Even if the numbers are similar, they would vote in CJ with his reputation and being on a winning team than LaVine on a losing Bulls team. I think CJ would make all-star in the east as well.

 

sure....that may be a reasonable assumption. But look at the 'foundation' of that assumption

For his career, CJ has averaged 1.186 points/shot. Last season, it was 1.23. But that was skewed by that torrid start he couldn't sustain

assume he averages 1.21 points/shot (likely too high). Then assume he becomes option 1b with Harris and averages the same 15 FGA as Harris. At 1.21 points/shot he'd average 18 points. At the 1.23 he averaged this season, he'd average 18.5 points. Even if CJ averaged the same number of shots at Embiid, he'd only average 21.5. But does anybody really think the 76ers would let him chuck up that many shots when they have Embiid, Harris, & Curry?

a lot of people seem to look at CJ's scoring average for Portland and just assume that would transfer to another team. But they ignore that CJ has been much more featured in Portland's offense than he'd be if traded....unless he's traded to a shitty team that would just let him dribble & chuck all game. This season, CJ averaged 6 more shots than anybody else besides Dame. Last season was the same; so was the season before it. CJ has had clear sailing into the top-15 in the league in FGA because of how Olshey built the roster. This season he was 14th in FGA; last season he was 12th. He's simply not going to get that clear path to top-15 chucking on another good team

 

I almost think it’s a bit. Either that or he’s got his own skeletons and is projecting. Or maybe he’s just a lunatic. Tough to call.

 

Who knows what a healthy CJ could do on another team, or if he stays. He was never the same player when he came back from that injury. He had loss explosiveness, accuracy on his shots, and he rarely took the ball to the hoop. He was playing some pretty nice defense at the beginning of the year to. Getting into the passing lanes and stealing the ball like never before. That all came to an end when Star Killer (Clint Capella) stepped on his foot. Capella seems to have an knack for putting his feet in dangerous places, see Giannis. Health is not a given for anyone, but if CJ remains healthy, i could see his talent on an ascend. I was as mad as anyone that he couldn't hit clutch shots vs. Denver. But once i thought it out, was CJ really healthy in that series.

 

Any one offering CJ + two firsts or CJ + RoCo are crazy. We’d be taking a step backwards. RoCo is a must-keep player considering his intangibles, defense, and contract. Gambling on Ben Simmons could easily sink our ship if he stinks up the joint next postseason playing for us. Than we’d really be screwed.

I’d rather run it back with Billups, let CJ build his value back up, and see what’s available before the deadline.

 

CJ + Two firsts is fine in my opinion.
CJ + Roco is laugh them off the phone hell fuckin no.
Our firsts are pretty much worthless with Simmons, Dame and Nurk.

 

If we got Simmons I would move Nurk. I seriously wonder what PGs value is.

 

Who starts? Lillard-Beal?

 

In this scenario I’d rather have Simmons.
Hell I’d take Tobias Harris.
We fundamentally disagree. CJ is overall better than Brogdon. If you want a super 6th man, demote CJ to the bench.

Lillard/CJ
Powell/CJ
Nassir/Jones
Covington
Nurk

Is better.

And we don’t need trades for that.
Holiday sucks, bonafide scrub. Nassir is 11 years(?) younger. Get him PT. Not Holiday. And like I said, CJ is a better player than Brogdon.

Nassir > Holiday
CJ > Brogdon

So, no, we get worse in my opinion.

 

I have no idea who all of these people that keep on proposing that we get Simmons for CJ straight up and then move him to another team in a three team deal that doesn't even net us what he has been giving the majority of his career, are rooting for. If we can get Simmons for CJ, we take that deal and run with it.

 

How does a Ben Simmons who struggles in the playoffs sink our ship any faster than it's been sinking? Please tell me how he'll get us out of the playoffs faster than the first round.