Around The League 2022-2023 season

[Blue_and_Whte]

Scottie Barnes: 11.3 ppg on 35% FG. Since Siakim went down.

[pepe1991]

Wtf happend to Ben Simmons????

Like what an actual f**** i watched tonight?
How in a blue hell 6'10, 40 inch vertical, former ROY, 3 times allstar, perennial DPOY candidate turned into THIS?

Your GSW comment above connect here directly to Klay Thompson. He is a shell of himself and should not be an NBA starter. If he stays this bad, I cannot see the Warriors as more than a play-in team.

And this isn't just a lack of mobility. Heck: his FT% numbers are down form 90% to 75%. There is a problem here!
..

I assume Klay just declines ( in rapid fashion tho ,and as result of two major injuries and +800 games played) but Ben is 26 years old. Wtf is wrong with him?

But non less, Klay's decline has been brutal. Guy went from career 57% TS to 47% . Some of it will probably recover & go up over time ,but even last year it was noticable that he isn't same player he was once.

[p0peye]

Wtf happend to Ben Simmons????

Like what an actual f**** i watched tonight?
How in a blue hell 6'10, 40 inch vertical, former ROY, 3 times allstar, perennial DPOY candidate turned into THIS?

Your GSW comment above connect here directly to Klay Thompson. He is a shell of himself and should not be an NBA starter. If he stays this bad, I cannot see the Warriors as more than a play-in team.

And this isn't just a lack of mobility. Heck: his FT% numbers are down form 90% to 75%. There is a problem here!
..

I assume Klay just declines ( in rapid fashion tho ,and as result of two major injuries and +800 games played) but Ben is 26 years old. Wtf is wrong with him?

But non less, Klay's decline has been brutal. Guy went from career 57% TS to 47% . Some of it will probably recover & go up over time ,but even last year it was noticable that he isn't same player he was once.

Mental health is not to be taken lightly.

[pepe1991]

And James Wiseman has been assigned to G league . Wow.

[pepe1991]

Your GSW comment above connect here directly to Klay Thompson. He is a shell of himself and should not be an NBA starter. If he stays this bad, I cannot see the Warriors as more than a play-in team.

And this isn't just a lack of mobility. Heck: his FT% numbers are down form 90% to 75%. There is a problem here!
..

I assume Klay just declines ( in rapid fashion tho ,and as result of two major injuries and +800 games played) but Ben is 26 years old. Wtf is wrong with him?

But non less, Klay's decline has been brutal. Guy went from career 57% TS to 47% . Some of it will probably recover & go up over time ,but even last year it was noticable that he isn't same player he was once.

Mental health is not to be taken lightly.

He avoids contact ,avoids shooting, avoids just about anything that would put him in situation where he has to score.

Nobody is mocking his mental health, but under this conditions, he isn't capable of playing at this level. But that opens whole another issue of nba contract and why they are fully guaranteed and count against cap. I'm sure Nets would rather not have him at all than have him exist only in their salary books while having current version of him at $35M price tag.

[p0peye]

I assume Klay just declines ( in rapid fashion tho ,and as result of two major injuries and +800 games played) but Ben is 26 years old. Wtf is wrong with him?

But non less, Klay's decline has been brutal. Guy went from career 57% TS to 47% . Some of it will probably recover & go up over time ,but even last year it was noticable that he isn't same player he was once.

Mental health is not to be taken lightly.

He avoids contact ,avoids shooting, avoids just about anything that would put him in situation where he has to score.

Nobody is mocking his mental health, but under this conditions, he isn't capable of playing at this level. But that opens whole another issue of nba contract and why they are fully guaranteed and count against cap. I'm sure Nets would rather not have him at all than have him exist only in their salary books while having current version of him at $35M price tag.

Oh, I am not implying that you are mocking him, only that mental health issues can severely affect individual's capability to function in any setting, let alone public such as basketball game where he is exposed to critical comments from anyone. He was probably struggling even before his team mates and coach thew him under that bus, which seemed to be the straw that broke the camel's back. He may or may not come back from this, we'll see. Fultz had similar struggles on a smaller degree, but seems like our FO had a very good approach to this issue taking all pressure off of him - unfortunately underlying cause seems like a physical issue that is not easy to solve.

[zuppafly]

yeah, what I saw from Ben this season shows an athlete with a severe lack of confidence. popeye's comment is on point about how his situation was handled vs. Fultz's.
The league should analyze Ben's case thoroughly to avoid similar situations with any other kid joining the league.

[basketballRob]

Fournier isn't even getting minutes now.

Sent from my SM-G950U using RealGM Forums mobile app

[Skybox]

headline reads "Thibodeau removes Fournier and Grimes from rotation"...send Grimes over, please. He was supposedly a big sticking point to getting a Mitchell deal done...I really think Thibs has timed out.

[Optimus_Steel]

Fournier isn't even getting minutes now.

Sent from my SM-G950U using RealGM Forums mobile app

And rightly so, he is playing absolutely awful. Is he even in the NBA next year? This guy was our go to...

[pepe1991]

Mental health is not to be taken lightly.

He avoids contact ,avoids shooting, avoids just about anything that would put him in situation where he has to score.

Nobody is mocking his mental health, but under this conditions, he isn't capable of playing at this level. But that opens whole another issue of nba contract and why they are fully guaranteed and count against cap. I'm sure Nets would rather not have him at all than have him exist only in their salary books while having current version of him at $35M price tag.

Oh, I am not implying that you are mocking him, only that mental health issues can severely affect individual's capability to function in any setting, let alone public such as basketball game where he is exposed to critical comments from anyone. He was probably struggling even before his team mates and coach thew him under that bus, which seemed to be the straw that broke the camel's back. He may or may not come back from this, we'll see. Fultz had similar struggles on a smaller degree, but seems like our FO had a very good approach to this issue taking all pressure off of him - unfortunately underlying cause seems like a physical issue that is not easy to solve.

I find it funny that once i proposed trade around Simmons to Dallas ( involving Magic) , Real GM had article how Dallas is not interested in Ben Simmons.
We mention him again ,today, and front page article you have "Nets Frustrated With Ben Simmons Availability And Level Of Play"

Anyhow, it's clear that all parties involved are suffering. Maybe buyout as Nets escape his contract is best situation.

[PrimeThyme]

Anyhow, it's clear that all parties involved are suffering. Maybe buyout as Nets escape his contract is best situation.

The Nets are in an absolute world of trouble.

Simmons has 2 years and nearly 80 million left on his contract after this one. Can't see any buyout coming. He also has a 15% trade kicker and even if they wanted to trade him, all their picks through 2027 are either gone or swaps to the Rockets. This is all without mentioning the fact that Simmons due to mental/physical injuries is an absolute shell of himself. Basically unplayable as a once dpoy can't even stay in front of his man anymore and is missing every other game due to knee/back injuries.

Every person considering him a reclamation project and chalking this all up to all mental, need to consider that fact. This is someone who had a season-ending injury in college, his first year in the NBA, and now this. Go read the Shams article he did and see how bad this is. I think he's completely done. Injuries have sapped his athleticism and he's a dead contract imo.

The only way out of this is a KD trade to a contender and it's doubtful that any of the picks or players they get back will be fruitful enough to rebuild with. They're in the exact same position they were in during the mid 2010s after the Celtics trade, except this might be worse. Kyrie is gone after the season. Possibly from the NBA entirely.

This is Adam Silvers NBA though, and is what happens when you give the players all the power and let them run an NBA franchise. Silver and the Nets FO/Joe Tsai should hold their heads in shame and eat this one. Marks and that whole basketball operations will be on the streets within 2 years.

[Knightro]

Oh, I am not implying that you are mocking him, only that mental health issues can severely affect individual's capability to function in any setting, let alone public such as basketball game where he is exposed to critical comments from anyone. He was probably struggling even before his team mates and coach thew him under that bus, which seemed to be the straw that broke the camel's back. He may or may not come back from this, we'll see. Fultz had similar struggles on a smaller degree, but seems like our FO had a very good approach to this issue taking all pressure off of him - unfortunately underlying cause seems like a physical issue that is not easy to solve.

For what it's worth, Simmons himself claims the mental health thing is pretty much in the past.

The issue now is that his back and knee are both shot.

[thelead]

Jabari Smith looks like a kid that is just happy to be in the league and just wants to play his role. Maybe it's just coaching getting into his ear but he isn't playing like a top 3 pick.

[thelead]

Jabari's a good defender though. The skillset is there.

[tiderulz]

He avoids contact ,avoids shooting, avoids just about anything that would put him in situation where he has to score.

Nobody is mocking his mental health, but under this conditions, he isn't capable of playing at this level. But that opens whole another issue of nba contract and why they are fully guaranteed and count against cap. I'm sure Nets would rather not have him at all than have him exist only in their salary books while having current version of him at $35M price tag.

Oh, I am not implying that you are mocking him, only that mental health issues can severely affect individual's capability to function in any setting, let alone public such as basketball game where he is exposed to critical comments from anyone. He was probably struggling even before his team mates and coach thew him under that bus, which seemed to be the straw that broke the camel's back. He may or may not come back from this, we'll see. Fultz had similar struggles on a smaller degree, but seems like our FO had a very good approach to this issue taking all pressure off of him - unfortunately underlying cause seems like a physical issue that is not easy to solve.

I find it funny that once i proposed trade around Simmons to Dallas ( involving Magic) , Real GM had article how Dallas is not interested in Ben Simmons.
We mention him again ,today, and front page article you have "Nets Frustrated With Ben Simmons Availability And Level Of Play"

Anyhow, it's clear that all parties involved are suffering. Maybe buyout as Nets escape his contract is best situation.

I remember people trying to talk about trading Simmons here ( i dont remember who). glad this front office didnt try that reclamation project

[drsd]

Interesting to see Aaron Gordon having the most efficient season of his career. Settling in to his 4th/5th man role is really paying off for him.

[DSN1423]

Is Quinten Grimes worth investigating now he is out of the rotation in NY?

Has always been behind more veteran players, who knows what he could do with minutes on our injury filled roster....

[Bergmaniac]

Interesting to see Aaron Gordon having the most efficient season of his career. Settling in to his 4th/5th man role is really paying off for him.

It was always obvious that's what he is most suited for, a defense first guy who sticks to simple things on offense like making cuts and no wonder he is thriving with Jokic to pass to him and Murray and MPJ to draw attention away from him. His attempts to be a ballhandler or his back to the basket game were always terrible. It was telling that even when Murray and MPJ were out he wasn't getting many shots attempts on most nights.

[p0peye]

Oh, I am not implying that you are mocking him, only that mental health issues can severely affect individual's capability to function in any setting, let alone public such as basketball game where he is exposed to critical comments from anyone. He was probably struggling even before his team mates and coach thew him under that bus, which seemed to be the straw that broke the camel's back. He may or may not come back from this, we'll see. Fultz had similar struggles on a smaller degree, but seems like our FO had a very good approach to this issue taking all pressure off of him - unfortunately underlying cause seems like a physical issue that is not easy to solve.

For what it's worth, Simmons himself claims the mental health thing is pretty much in the past.

The issue now is that his back and knee are both shot.

Well, if that were truth it shouldn't prevent him shoot the wide open midrange shot with no defender looking his way. In my opinion he is struggling mentally and trying to deflect attention from that at this point.