I can't believe you just put Magic and Simmons in the same post. Magic is a transcendentally better passer, and much better shooter (they just didn't shoot a lot of 3s back then and if you missed any, your %s tank), and actually has a pair between his legs. You will never see Magic becoming passive. He will take and usually make those big shots and do so under the brightest lights.
Ben would be a great fit with green and KPJ. he can guard the toughest perimeter player for them, and act as a passer to set them up on offense. problem is he needs to admit he's not a PG. he's odom or dray, a defensive PF who's best at passing to scoring guards off DHOs and short rolls. I don't think he'll ever want to reduce his roll that much, but that's what it would take for him to be on a championship team.
Ben Simmons is a good player and maybe somewhat better than CW in some areas. But I do not see him making Rockets any better. If KPJ is supposed future PG for Rockets then it makes no sense to trade for BS. Also, Simmons is simply atrocious from 3pt line. Passing wise for someone that gives a career 7.7 apg, I rather just see Wall with 9 apg who shoots better and has speed/quickness surrounding Rockets young players or even see KPJ who had a breakout season with assist even though he was surrounded by an injury-plagued roster. CW helps to spread the floor with his shooting, gives Rockets pure PF that can switch to C, gives somewhat of a paint defense with his shot-blocking abilities, all of which Rockets need in a current guard and SF heavy team. Need shooters when players like Green get double-teamed which we already saw happening in the summer league.
Id rather a guy score 0 pts on a winning team than a dude who puts up 20-10 on a garbage team. With usage anyone in the nba can put up numbers and get vastly overrated then get overpaid. If Woods play starts translating to wins, you can change my mind. But Ben Simmons is a better player right now. It's not even a question. On a really bad team Ben Simmons would average a triple double easily. The funny thing is if we called the Sixers and offered Gordon and Wood for Simmons, Morey would hang up the phone and laugh in our face. Stone would take that deal in a heartbeat.
This is where we will disagree. We have 0 ideal sized wing players. Tate is good but he's too small. KJ Martin is also too small. Ben Simmons would bring a level of versatility this team definitely needs. He is 6'11 and can actually guard anyone on the floor. He has the prototypical NBA body.
Here I'm going to post 20/21 Simmons highlight video and then Giannis. Not much difference in the two..... *get running start at defender (hard to stop) * Wall of defenders at FT line works best to stop each * note the "Dunker Spot" used by Philly with Simmons * Giannis USG% was 32.5% to Simmons 20.2% * So probably different schemes and personnel with each (see Embiid post up freq) They both have the same skills. I would love to work with Simmons and transcend his game. I would make him a beast in this league.
Terrible logic and a lazy take. Putting up good stats on a bad team is only a negative if you are inefficient. An efficient scorer on a bad team would be even more efficient on a good team where they aren’t the sole focal point. And Don’t ignore the fact that we were one of the worse (28th) 3 point shooting teams in the league last year. How does trading CWood (37% from 3) for Ben Simmons make us any better or make any sense? Your view of Simmons is very idealistic and not practical at all. We just drafted Garuba. If you want defense that badly then develop him. You don’t trade your best player for an overpaid defender. You definitely don’t trade a low tier allstar for another low tier allstar that makes twice as much money and is a 10x worse fit.
Christian Wood isn't an all star yet. He's never even played an entire NBA season. Simmons has a huge flaw but he provides elite perimeter defense and is a really good facilitator. The Rockets currently have no players with that skillet. Simmons provides the two biggest weaknesses that Green/KPJ currenty have. If the hope is for KPJ and Green to be a dynamic scoring backcourt Simmons is a great compliment to that.
Wood has put up allstar level production and was on track to make the team before injury. Technicalities are irrelevant because he’s proven to play at that level. KPJ shoots 31% from 3. How does Simmons compliment that better than Wood who is a consistent pick and roll threat who also opens up driving lanes with his 3 point shooting? Both Green and KP will struggle to score with Simmons clogging the paint. What center are you putting out there to accommodate Simmons poor floor spacing? Sengun is not a shooter yet and neither is Theis. Our athletic guards need a stretch big (Wood) to open the floor up for them.
Ben Simmons has more value in the league. I trade for him because if the fit isn't there I can trade him somewhere else. Plenty of dumb teams like the Kings would send us picks and Buddy Hield for him if you want three point shooting. On a team as bad as ours you swing for the fences and if it doesn't work it really doesn't matter cuz we aren't winning with Wood or Simmons. Clutchfans has a problem falling in love with guys who really aren't that good. Do you really think you are smarter than 31 gms in the nba? Why didn't anyone offer him a contract more than 10 million? He's gotta have some red flags. I don't even like Ben Simmons. I was leading the do not trade Harden for him bandwagon. But this is Cristian Wood we are talking about. When you make trades always try to get the better player. Even in limited attempts Simmons 3% did improve last year. So there is always chance he starts shooting at an average clip.
It's not a technicality when Wood is a very thin framed player that might not be able to sustain a full season. I hope he can make it through the year and be an all star but I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up injured again with his frame. KPJ played sporadically last year. When he was the starter for the last 19 games he showed he can be a good 3 point shooter. I think in 9 of those games he shot 37% or better. I'm not worried much about his shot yet. Maybe. But the Rockets are going to get ran through if they run KPJ/Green/Wood lineups. I don't see how you can win if your best 3 players are all average or below on defense.
That makes no sense?? Why would you trade Wood for Simmons just to trade Simmons? For all that you could trade Wood for picks at the trade deadline. And no you have a problem chasing a big name that has under preformed is over paid and has failed to even attempt to maximize his potential. Simmons has Red flags… so why would you trade red flags for more red flags.. There is nothing practical about this trade scenario at all.
Our roster is very flawed right now. But trading Wood for Simmons does nothing but create more flaws. You can say Simmons is a better player but trading Wood for him doesn't put us in a better situation.
Why doesn't it when Simmons provides two things the team needs in facilitating and elite perimeter defense? If the hope is that KPJ and Green are star guards Simmons inability to shoot shouldn't stop both of them.
What value does Wood have at the deadline? Most likely he will be injured and not even playing. I don't chase Simmons. I've never liked him or his game. He's underwhelmed at all levels, but everyone gm in the league would tell you he's better than Wood. I led the do not trade Harden for Simmons bandwagon. But this is Wood we are talking about, would I really miss him. The trade is more about addition by subtraction. I want to see Green and Sengun and Garuba play. We can't do that with Gordon and Wood and Wall on the team. I don't want to win any games this year its counter productive. I'd rather us tank for 2 more seasons. It's our best chance of being great. I'm sick of being average.
Simmons inability to shoot will stop them because our center would also not be able to shoot. You can’t have 2 non shooters on the floor as we learned with Russ and Capela. Poor floor spacing is why Philly hasn’t been successful with Simmons Butler/Harris and Embiid. Also facilitating is impossible when your man doesnt view you as a threat to score. That is another way Simmons doesn’t maximize his talents. His liabilities in the halfcourt hinder his teammates ability to produce in the halfcourt as well.
Ben Simmons would hinder the development of both Garuba and Sengun while Wood would benefit them both. How is Sengun supposed to opperate in the post with Simmons’ man sagging off him to help or double on Sengun? (same problem he had with Embiid) Sengun and Wood can play together because Wood’s man has to be glued to him at the 3 point line giving Sengun appropriate space to operate in the low and high post. Garuba can also slot at the 4 next to Wood and help cover him on defense. The only log jam we have is at Guard, the bigs have plenty of minutes to go around. We will lose regardless this year. Wall and Gordon will be hurt and the 19 year olds aren’t experienced enough to win yet.
Their are lots of centers in the league that can shoot. And with Simmons size you can run smaller lineups with better shooters. Hopefully Sengun can develop a shot and be our floor spacing big. It's much easier to find a floor spacing big than it is to find a NBA first team defender that can facilitate. The 6ers were really successful with Jimmy Butler. They lost in game 7 on a great Kawhi shot. Personally I think the 6ers biggest problem recently is that they've had no Jimmy or another elite scoring wing. Simmons isn't built to be the best/only perimeter star on a championship team. He needs an all star wing teammate.
Well I can't change my vote First I chose wood But after sleeping on it I choose Simmons I don't trust Wood's Body I don't trust Woods health... Simmons is a better Defender. And passer facilitator... I'm taking Simmons
