I feel if we drafted those players in reverse order and took Trent at 24 and Simons at 37 people would be comfortable with the outcome of the draft.
Drafts are always up to debate, but I like that the Blazers went for big upside. You can always play it safe, but when you hit on potential, the reward is golden. Welcome to Portland Fellas.
He was projected around there though. Utah fans were pretty keen on him at 21 before they took Grayson Allen.
You asked for 14 older articles about Simons, up to a year old? Well you should have. http://www.nbadraft.net/nba_player_news/156912
I'm with Bones on this one. Drafting Trent at 24 I would've punched a hole through my wall because I would've been so pissed off. Trent was slipping big time in recent days. He's an okay early 2nd round pick but not giving up 2 future 2nds for. I think Khyri Thomas is going to be just as good of a spot up shooter and the difference in defense isn't even in the same universe. So we could've had both an elite 3 and D wing and a project guard. I'd be doing back flips right now.
Simons is the first player since 2005 (which included Martell Webster) to land in the draft without playing in college or overseas.
I don’t really get why people are so negative on the timeline for him. Let me sum this up: He was supposed to go to Louisville next year as a five star recruit. If he turned out to be good there then he would have likely been one and done like most top prospects in the draft (2019 mocks had him going in the lottery). Plenty of one and done players contributed in NBA straightaway and it also goes for all top prospects this year - Ayton, Bagley etc. are expected to play already. Instead for the next year he decided to go to NBA and will get top level coaching and get to train next to two elite players who play the same positions as he does. Why does it somehow limit his chances of contributing in 2019-20 compared to what they would be had he gone to Louisville as planned and came to the league a year later? I get the competitive basketball argument but he can still have that in G-League and he can get bench minutes in NBA too.
Olshey psyched us up to expect experience, maybe a 4-year draftee like Lillard or McCollum. He said that we're too close to the top for a youth movement. So everyone's surprised by a high school player, and a point guard at that, a leadership position which will take years for the kid to learn. If Olshey hadn't led us to believe in the opposite direction he went, it would be easier to adjust to this surprise. (Another surprise was that he didn't trade up, but that's a separate disappointment.) But, people are adjusting. The kid will take up space for 2-3 years that would have been occupied by a bigger contributor, then maybe produce (like Crabbe eventually did and Connaughton and Leonard didn't). So we'll see in a few years from now. The kid won't play for a couple of years, so I'll just snooze until then and try to watch him in G-League.
You guys may be right. When he finally plays against men instead of boys, maybe he'll quickly become a star.
We have 15 roster spots, how will he take up space from someone who could be helping? That makes no sense. Who did you want at 24, exactly? You never tossed out names. It's possible that a trade was impossible. Drafting a couple players doesn't mean it's a "youth movement",
I think Simons certainly has some upside down the road. It's just that he plays the same position(s) as the 2 best players on our team. So: How long will it take him to develop? How much playing time will he actually get? With as much need as we have at wing, was getting a backup who will take time to develop the best we could do? Now if he develops and we are able to trade CJ and get something of value down the road, and he can step into that spot.....great.
