Rastas wrote:Paradise wrote:ecuhus1981 wrote:Bridges is a freaking unicorn player and asset. Simons, 3 and Sharpe is a very, very respectable offer, but I'm still not moving Mikal.
I am pro acquiring Dame, even with his age, injury risk and the ban end of his contract. He'll cost a lot, and that's also fine with me. My one sticking point is, I can't have him AND Ben on the books for the next 2 seasons. Whether Portland absorbs Simmons or he gets spun off to a 3rd team, I would have to push for that as part of the deal. Maybe Portland passes due to this stipulation. I'll live with that.
We would be getting Dame to pair with Bridges and CJ. Simmons becomes the main piece to deal.
According to a close Dame contact I was chatting with is Dame only has interest in going to Nets if it's to play with both Bridges and Simmons.
Also he has interest in other teams , but again it's about who those teams keep onboard to pair with him.
Doesn't want to be in a super team just a competitive top 4ish conference team.
Is also very happy to stay with Portland if nothing eventuates.
See this is what always makes me question star player opinion.
Play with Bridges? Absolutely. Could be Paul George in the making, worst case he’s a stud 18/6/3 picture perfect third option just coming into his prime and barely needs the ball in his hands.
But that he requires Simmons? I get it in theory. He’s thinking Simmons at the 4 or 5, ultimate gadget player, top defender, run the second unit when Dame goes to the bench, gets out in transition or can point the break himself, frees up Dame in the half court to get open off ball, on action.
But that’s on paper. What we’ve seen from Ben, both his body physically and his mindset, dedication and love for the game, and his toughness and aggressiveness which you absolutely need at this level even if you’re “just” a Dray Green, prime Horford, Tony Allen level role player star, it just ain’t it.
Let alone his complete lack of shooting. It’s not even that he’s a bad shooter like prime Andre Miller, or Shaun Livingston. He won’t even try to improve and refuses to take open shots even when he has the confidence and green light from the coaching staff. He passes out of layups for Christ’s sake and I’m talking frequently, not even the over dramatized example from the playoffs years ago.
I just don’t get it.
All that said, if Ben somehow helps get Dame here at a fair asset cost, so be it.
If we keep a majority of the important picks(Dallas and Phoenix ones way in the future) and get to be legit competitive now while having cap flexibility, I’m all for it.
These last couple seasons have shown us there is some legit parity in the NBA right now.
