Sixers offer Ben Simmons max contract(5 yrs/$168M); expected deal soon

I tend to agree with this. The Sixers are gambling on Simmons' potential, but Tobias Harris on the other hand, is already close to his ceiling as a player. Harris is an efficient high-volume scorer and a great shooter, but he's unexceptional in all the other aspects. He'd be a solid player for a team if he's earning $25 million per year, but at $36 million per year he's a lumbering baggage.

 

Draymond isn't a good comparison. He was a decent to good three point shooter earlier in his career (one season at 39%!) before his shot mysteriously left him. Now teams leave him open because he's a 28% shooter.

Boy, for a group of fans who seem generally excited about adding Westbrook, you all seem surprisingly down on paying big money to an athletic point guard who's a nightly triple double threat but can't help you from deep.

 

While I don’t like Westbrook he is still way better than Simmons. It’s not even a comparison. Westbrook has heart and actually gives it all. Simmons will never be worth this contract. He’s too busy chasing Kardashian’s and soaking in game to care about basketball. Just watch Kawhi’s game winner in game 7 last year and ask yourself wtf Simmons is doing. Westbrook would never quit on that play.. and as bad as Westbrook is at shooting he’s still way better than Simmons.

 

I don't think it's clear at all that Westbrook is better. Simmons is the superior defender. Russ certainly piles up more counting stats but at the expense of efficiency. Russ's PER is slightly higher but Simmons had more win shares last season.

Picking one play where Ben looked bad isn't a fair comparison, as lots of people here will tell you anytime you question the periodic possessions where Harden doesn't put in real effort.

And yeah, Ben can't shoot, but he at least KNOWS he can't shoot and plays like it. He hit 56% of his shots last year. Yeah, that's mostly layups and dunks, but is that REALLY worse than Westbrook launching jumpers from all over the floor and missing most of them??

 

I'm not excited to add Westbrook at all. Generalising much?

 

Guilty as charged. I feel like I’ve seen mostly excitement here and I generalized, yeah.

What’s your main reservation? The draft picks or the player?

 

So, if you had a drunken sailor on his first liberty, spending his money left and right. Then multiplied that by a gajillion. This might explain the 76ers offseason. $36,000,000 per season (or so) for Harris. $32,000,000 per season for Ben Simmons. Al Horford. The Process.

It isn’t my money, but they’ll be looking for some fool to take on at least one of these deals in a season or two.

 

It’s not any play. It’s game 7 of a playoff series, if you ain’t trying on that play you ain’t ever trying..

He’s only a superior defense cuz of usage. No one who carries Harden and Westbrook’s offensive load can play the same level of defense. It’s why having both I think will improve each of their individual defense. Westbrook has all the tools to be one of the best defenders. M

I agree Westbrook’s shot selection is terrible. That’s where having shooters spread the floor and having Harden take some burden off should help him. I expect him to shoot much better this year.

 

Horford is the one they'll regret.

 

I mean, there were plenty of plays down the stretch against GS where Harden looked oddly passive. You could say pretty much the same about those instances. The idea that Simmons is never trying is completely ridiculous.

Westbrook has had all the tools to be an amazing defender his whole career, including when Durant/Harden were there to take more offensive burden off his shoulders. He's been consistently mediocre his whole career. The idea that Harden's mere presence will suddenly cause him to improve doesn't stand up to critical thought.

And his shot selection..well, anything's possible. The offseason's for optimism, right?

 

I could see a Harris swap with GS for Russell making sense. When Klay comes back, GS is all backcourt and not much up front, and vice versa in Philly. And both look overpaid at this point.

 

lol

 

But he cant shoot. If you cant shoot, I was told this week you cant play in the NBA or help a team win.

 

Thats 34 million a year. That will never pay off. You are paying him to be a superstar. So even if he becomes a superstar it still isnt really a deal.

 

This contract doesn't kick in till 2020-21, for some to declare it as one of the worst contract in the league is not only strange but incredibly short sighted.

The guy is not even 23 yet and we're acting like he wont improve at all. At present he is already a valuable player in the NBA. He avgs 16/8/8 in his 2 years in the league, on 57% TS, while playing elite defense. He's done this despite not being able to shoot from further than 5ft from the basket.

Is it likely he'll develop a good 3 point shot? Definitely not. But is it likely he'll continue to improve and evolve in the next 2-4 years... IMO a resounding yes. He might not ever become a 35% 3 point shooter, but he can sure as hell develop to the point where he will be able to attempt the shot and hit 25% of them OR to the point where he's so good inside of 10ft that he doesn't need to, to be a good/great player. (Giannis the MVP this season's shot 256% on 3 pointers)

Regarding his salary in 2020-21, it'll be merely 25% of the salary cap and more than 10million less the salary of players like CP3, Westbrook, Wall and Durant off an achilles injury.

His contract will also be 5 million+ less than a 32 yr old Blake, Conley, Kemba and Hayward. It'll also be lower than Booker, Wiggins, Love, Middleton and Tobias.

Barring injury, nearly every team would've offered Simmons a max contract in 2020. Proof of that? DRusell, Booker, Murray, Porzingus and others have gotten the same or equivalent max contracts.

 

Getting paid that much better motivate him to start working on his shooting.

 

The Raps beat them by a weird buzzer beater, touching the rim 3-4 times.

Sixers gave them a run for their money.

 

Definitely the player. At this point in their careers, I don't think neither Harden nor Westbrook will adapt their games to one another. CP3 was a better complimentary player.

Westbrook on the floor means one shooter less for Harden.

 

I just can’t shake the feeling that Brand is destroying what Hinkie created.

Sam had this team in position to contend for DECADES with smart ownership.

Now, They risk having absolutely nothing in a few short years.

 

Some big "small" ball.