Around the League: 2022-23 Season 3.0

[Stanford]

Whereas franchise killers like Westbrook drag down absolutely everyone around them

That really only applies to Westbrook. John Wall wasn't dragging anyone down.

[GoSixersBro]

Ben’s only hope is to go to OKC, sit for an entire years, and work with Chip England to totally overhaul is shot.

Ben doesn't even seem to like basketball enough to go through with that. Seriously feels like another Andrew Bynum situation.

[Skates]

So is Ben Simmons the Carson Wentz of the NBA or is Wentz the Simmons of the NFL?

[the_process]

Ben’s only hope is to go to OKC, sit for an entire years, and work with Chip England to totally overhaul is shot.

Ben isn't salvageable because he doesn't want to play basketball anymore. He just wants to collect on that massive deal he got. IDK and IDC if it was the Hawks series or the family stuff or his back... but dude is not interested. Maybe it's simply because he's a 3 time AS who will have ~200M in lifetime earnings and still be under 30 once his contract is up.

I'm just glad they moved on before it was a complete sunk cost. Which, for the Nets, is exactly what Ben is. If they are rebuilding they might even consider stretch waiving him, as crazy as that might seem.

[Kobblehead]

That's it, players' association. Thanks to Ben Simmons, you lose the privilege of guaranteed contracts. Rooting hard for the owners to bury that in the next CBA.

[Stanford]

Rooting hard for the owners

You don't say

[the_process]

That's it, players' association. Thanks to Ben Simmons, you lose the privilege of guaranteed contracts. Rooting hard for the owners to bury that in the next CBA.

There's a better chance of instituting a hard cap than there is of unguaranteed contracts.

[blargh]

Nice to see Bassey got a long term deal with the Spurs. Good for him.

[spikeslovechild]

Jacque Vaughn is disgusting. Ben Simmons is clearly struggling and his coach is throwing him under the bus. And Nets fans aren't helping either. How do they expect him to excel if they boo every tiny mistake he makes?

Truly one of the grossest organizations in basketball. I feel bad for Ben Simmons.

I see what you did there. Yes sir. How shameful of them don't they know he struggles with his mental health? Hopefully, he gets traded to an organization where the coach and players have his back so he can make his triumphant return.

[76ciology]

Watch on YouTube

The 24-year-old has registered 15+ points in 7 of his last 8 games and has averaged 16.5 PPG on 53% shooting over that span.

[HardenGoat]

Watch on YouTube

The 24-year-old has registered 15+ points in 7 of his last 8 games and has averaged 16.5 PPG on 53% shooting over that span.

There’s your example of a player with the yips that has used practice and training wisely rather than use a “mental health” get out of jail free card.

[76ciology]

Dont tell me Masai is right.

Watch on YouTube

[Skates]

Matisse 4 each of steals, points and fouls in 30 minutes of play tonight, 0-3 from three.

[76ciology]

Matisse 4 each of steals, points and fouls in 30 minutes of play tonight, 0-3 from three.

We kinda know whats coming after Bassey played like Zion Williamson with defense with his first game with the Spurs then eventually being sent to G League

[phillynative]

Jacque Vaughn is disgusting. Ben Simmons is clearly struggling and his coach is throwing him under the bus. And Nets fans aren't helping either. How do they expect him to excel if they boo every tiny mistake he makes?

Truly one of the grossest organizations in basketball. I feel bad for Ben Simmons.

Read on Twitter

Same problem we had.

Poor spacing for Biid.
Too small to play smallball C.
Does not want to share ball time with Butler and Fultz.

I think there are a lot of complimentary pieces for Ben. Ben should play back-up C while being surrounded by wings like Mikal, O’Neal, DFS or Cam Johnson.

I think Jacque was just reading a post of mine when I was advocating for Brandon Ingram in 2016.

This was right there with you. Was willing to wait for boney man to fill out even. The team wouldn't have been as good instantly like with Ben who already had a man frame but the ceiling would have been higher with Ingram.

Management and ownership was more interested in the Ben hype train , put butts in the seat and turn profit .

[76ciology]

Read on Twitter

Same problem we had.

Poor spacing for Biid.
Too small to play smallball C.
Does not want to share ball time with Butler and Fultz.

I think there are a lot of complimentary pieces for Ben. Ben should play back-up C while being surrounded by wings like Mikal, O’Neal, DFS or Cam Johnson.

I think Jacque was just reading a post of mine when I was advocating for Brandon Ingram in 2016.

This was right there with you. Was willing to wait for boney man to fill out even. The team wouldn't have been as good instantly like with Ben who already had a man frame but the ceiling would have been higher with Ingram.

Management and ownership was more interested in the Ben hype train , put butts in the seat and turn profit .

2 years ago a poster here said drafting Ben should be credited to Hinkie because he’s the one who tanked and did the homework for BC to just sleep walk his way into drafting Ben.

now that i think of it, i think that poster is right.

another big or a guard who can’t shoot? He’s has both of these qualities

[Negrodamus]

Matisse 4 each of steals, points and fouls in 30 minutes of play tonight, 0-3 from three.

Wow, I’m shocked that Matisse isn’t going to continue shooting 66% from 3 with the blazers; even with the Lillard Effect!

[Mik317]

I'm not going to act like I wasn't a Ben truther.

ON PAYPER DOE...you have a 6'10 guy who can handle the ball, runs like a deer, can make all the passes, and can get to the rim at will. Thats a nuts profile.

sadly Ben hated the idea of shooting, didn't handle physicallity well, and was/is a diva who can only thrive in his preferred circumstances. In retrospect, yeah he showed all of that at LSU lol...but I don't like to judge what a guy is like as a kid and ideally they'd grow up even just a little. Ben didn't.

I still say that ironically our early success speeding up the timeline hurt Ben a lot. On one hand, it forced him to have to either get good asap or simply stop trying the things he sucked at because the team was trying to win. On the other hand, it also allowed him to think "well I am already great so **** all that working on my game ****". He never needed to go out of his comfort zone because it worked in the regular season and he also had a more talented teammate as well. Add on Brett as someone who would never get on him due to past relationships and also wanting to keep his job and a FO who was overly attached to him..and you have a stew goin baby.

What I learned from the whole experience is to actually pay attention to the character evals a bit more...I used to think it was unfair but idk its proven to have some weight to it. Fultz being a goofy kid also played a role in his downfall here as he simply wasn't ready to overcome that start at the time. Biid sadly getting wrecked with all the **** his first two years kinda toughened him up too.

TLDR; I'll add Ben to my long list of guys I was totally wrong about lol.

[Bum Adebayo]

Fultz character has had no bearing on his fate, dude is a good kid and had bad luck with the shoulder/yips whatever you want to call it. The reality is, Simmons was just more talented than Fultz even if his shot remained the same it was in college, but Fultz has worked way harder so that now he is better than Simmons.
Fultz is a good kid, it's not his fault he was overrated and Tatum was VASTLY underrated and now the later is the best player in the league.

[Stanford]

2 years ago a poster here said drafting Ben should be credited to Hinkie

Blamed on, you mean.

Pretty ridiculous to blame Ben on Hinkie when the only report we've ever seen on the matter said that he preferred Ingram. It was also pretty clear that Colangelo was infatuated with Ben and would have preferred to build the team around him over Embiid.