Ryen Russillo: "Simons could be a monster"

Effigy · Post #1 » by **Effigy** » Fri Jun 28, 2019 10:44 pm

On Bill Simmons' podcast for June 27, Ryen Russillo said this about Anfernee Simons:

"The reports I'm getting on Anfernee Simons are through the roof. It's not talent, it's none of that. If he puts it together he's going to be a monster. That sounds really aggressive, but I wouldn't share it unless the guy who told me that has been right almost all the time on players."

Bill then says he's heard similar buzz.

It's at the 1:26:37

That's promising. Does anyone know if Simons is playing in the summer league?

Wizenheimer · Post #2 » by **Wizenheimer** » Fri Jun 28, 2019 11:11 pm

I saw a transcript of what they said about Simons and I have little doubt the source is Olshey

d-train · Post #3 » by **d-train** » Fri Jun 28, 2019 11:16 pm

Wizenheimer wrote:I saw a transcript of what they said about Simons and I have little doubt the source is Olshey

Either he believes it, or he's trying a pump and dump. I have no objections either way.

Effigy · Post #4 » by **Effigy** » Fri Jun 28, 2019 11:37 pm

Wizenheimer wrote:I saw a transcript of what they said about Simons and I have little doubt the source is Olshey

Eh, I didn't get that sense at all listening to it. I don't think Russillo would just parrot back something the team GM said about one of his players.

monopoman · Post #5 » by **monopoman** » Fri Jun 28, 2019 11:41 pm

Well Simons was considered quite the steal of the 2018 draft, and he mostly fell to our pick because he didn't play in college. He has quite a bit of potential and you saw that on full display in the Kings game.

d-train · Post #6 » by **d-train** » Sat Jun 29, 2019 12:22 am

Effigy wrote:
Wizenheimer wrote:I saw a transcript of what they said about Simons and I have little doubt the source is Olshey

Eh, I didn't get that sense at all listening to it. I don't think Russillo would just parrot back something the team GM said about one of his players.

Why wouldn't Russillo just parrot back something told to him by a GM? He didn't take ownership of what he said. He repeated what "some guy who has a record of sharing good information" told him. Actually, it doesn't sound like Olshey at all. I can't see Olshey telling a reporter anything unless he was reading from the party line.

Epicurus · Post #7 » by **Epicurus** » Sat Jun 29, 2019 12:36 am

I think a slot in the rotation is Simons' until he loses it. Coaching staff and team mates have been quite impressed with him, I understand.

Wizenheimer · Post #8 » by **Wizenheimer** » Sat Jun 29, 2019 12:38 am

Effigy wrote:
Wizenheimer wrote:I saw a transcript of what they said about Simons and I have little doubt the source is Olshey

Eh, I didn't get that sense at all listening to it. I don't think Russillo would just parrot back something the team GM said about one of his players.

sorry but any reporter or blogger would repeat what a GM told him, even if it was background or off the record

Ryen: "The reports I'm getting back on Anfernee Simons are through the roof. It's not just talent, but if he puts it together, he's gonna be a monster. That sounds really aggressive but I wouldn't share it unless the guy that told me that has been right almost all the time on players."

Ryen: " I don't know what it is. The guy who told me this about Simons is the same one who was talking about CJ before he blew up.

that absolutely fits Olshey....to a T. Sure, it could be another connected person. But if you think Olshey doesn't talk to media ion background you haven't paid attention to Olshey's relationship with Woj. I'd add that Olshey seems to have a pretty tight relationship with Chris Haynes

zzaj · Post #9 » by **zzaj** » Sat Jun 29, 2019 1:40 am

I posted it elsewhere, but Simons would have to make huge strides in offense, defense and feel for the game in order for me to consider him even starter level, let alone a "monster".

I can see him adding the offense in time. I think he tops out at maybe Seth Curry level of defense, if we're lucky. As far as BBIQ? He seems to understand ISO scoring play just fine. Whether or not he will ever actually be an effective PG in a team concept? I have serious doubts...

d-train · Post #10 » by **d-train** » Sat Jun 29, 2019 1:51 am

zzaj wrote:I posted it elsewhere, but Simons would have to make huge strides in offense, defense and feel for the game in order for me to consider him even starter level, let alone a "monster".

I can see him adding the offense in time. I think he tops out at maybe Seth Curry level of defense, if we're lucky. As far as BBIQ? He seems to understand ISO scoring play just fine. Whether or not he will ever actually be an effective PG in a team concept? I have serious doubts...

He doesn't look anything like a PG. Seth Curry defense would be fine. I prefer Seth Curry defense to Rodney Hood defense.

Goldbum · Post #11 » by **Goldbum** » Sat Jun 29, 2019 1:55 am

Look none of us should doubt NO ability to draft scoring guards. From Bledsoe to CJ to Lillard... the guy just doesn’t usually miss on those...

d-train · Post #12 » by **d-train** » Sat Jun 29, 2019 2:02 am

Goldbum wrote:Look none of us should doubt NO ability to draft scoring guards. From Bledsoe to CJ to Lillard... the guy just doesn’t usually miss on those...

When I guy is drafting in the 20's, he would bet against himself.

Matt800 · Post #13 » by **Matt800** » Sat Jun 29, 2019 2:54 am

He looked like he knew how to score against SAC in that last game. He also had some really nice passes. I think defense is a concern though. Not in terms of potential, but he just has had times where he has played horrible defense.

DusterBuster · Post #14 » by **DusterBuster** » Sat Jun 29, 2019 3:22 am

Wizenheimer wrote:I saw a transcript of what they said about Simons and I have little doubt the source is Olshey

Yeah, the midday guys on 1080 played this and talked about it as well, they floated the idea Russillo's source was Olshey too. One of them even said something that he had remembered Russillo actually mentioning he talks with Olshey semi-regularly. So yeah, I wouldn't be surprised by that either.

Sinobas · Post #15 » by **Sinobas** » Sat Jun 29, 2019 3:30 am

It probably is a source internal to the Blazers, because who else would be seeing Simons at this point?

DusterBuster · Post #16 » by **DusterBuster** » Sat Jun 29, 2019 3:31 am

Goldbum wrote:Look none of us should doubt NO ability to draft scoring guards. From Bledsoe to CJ to Lillard... the guy just doesn’t usually miss on those...

I think it's safe to call Gordon one of Olshey's picks too. Gordon was "technically" Mike Dunleavy's pick in 08/09 as he was the GM/Coach for the Clips then, but that's was the same year Olshey was promoted to assistant GM for LA. I feel like the most likely scenario there was Olshey telling Mike who to pick.

Wizenheimer · Post #17 » by **Wizenheimer** » Sat Jun 29, 2019 3:50 am

DusterBuster wrote:
Wizenheimer wrote:I saw a transcript of what they said about Simons and I have little doubt the source is Olshey

Yeah, the midday guys on 1080 played this and talked about it as well, they floated the idea Russillo's source was Olshey too. One of them even said something that he had remembered Russillo actually mentioning he talks with Olshey semi-regularly. So yeah, I wouldn't be surprised by that either.

I'm not saying it's a bad thing. Pumping the value of a young player actually fits into the job of GM. Never know when that value, inflated or not might come in handy. The forecast might be right as well

I will say I think the Simons hype might be getting a little out of control and end up putting pressure on him

now before the Simons fan club slams me for that....allow me to explain: if Simons gets a greatly expanded role next season, even if his eventual ceiling is high, I expect him to struggle quite a bit at times. I expect plenty of inconsistency. In some ways, it will be his rookie season.

I'd even expect some of the Layman effect: that being that he could have a stretch of wow-look-at-him-we-got-a-great-one games. His fans will go bat$hit and talk about all-star games. Then, he'll get scouted and opponents will take away what he's doing best and limit his open looks and driving lanes. And he won't look anywhere close to an all-star anymore

I'm not as high on Simons as some. I do tend to think he'll likely be a fairly consistent rotation player soon (minutes), maybe out of necessity. But 'soon' for a 19-20 year old is 1-2 years from now, not next November

DusterBuster · Post #18 » by **DusterBuster** » Sat Jun 29, 2019 4:09 am

Wizenheimer wrote:
DusterBuster wrote:
Wizenheimer wrote:I saw a transcript of what they said about Simons and I have little doubt the source is Olshey

Yeah, the midday guys on 1080 played this and talked about it as well, they floated the idea Russillo's source was Olshey too. One of them even said something that he had remembered Russillo actually mentioning he talks with Olshey semi-regularly. So yeah, I wouldn't be surprised by that either.

I'm not saying it's a bad thing. Pumping the value of a young player actually fits into the job of GM. Never know when that value, inflated or not might come in handy. The forecast might be right as well

I will say I think the Simons hype might be getting a little out of control and end up putting pressure on him

now before the Simons fan club slams me for that....allow me to explain: if Simons gets a greatly expanded role next season, even if his eventual ceiling is high, I expect him to struggle quite a bit at times. I expect plenty of inconsistency. In some ways, it will be his rookie season.

I'd even expect some of the Layman effect: that being that he could have a stretch of wow-look-at-him-we-got-a-great-one games. His fans will go bat$hit and talk about all-star games. Then, he'll get scouted and opponents will take away what he's doing best and limit his open looks and driving lanes. And he won't look anywhere close to an all-star anymore

I'm not as high on Simons as some. I do tend to think he'll likely be a fairly consistent rotation player soon (minutes), maybe out of necessity. But 'soon' for a 19-20 year old is 1-2 years from now, not next November

Yeah, I hear ya. If you listened to the portion of the pod where he was talking about it, and just how Ryen relayed the story, you get the sense that he doesn't just whole-cloth believe everything execs tell him but that when ones he trusts and have proven to be right about certain things in the past, he's willing to trust them. So yeah, my guess is it's Olshey and that even behind the scenes, he's just as hyped about Simons as he is in press conferences.

I think you're totally right about the expectations getting a blown up too much here. Having some fans already willing to ship out CJ for him to start is a bit much for next season. He'll have some great games and some stinkers. At the end of the day for me, I just don't want to see him getting boat raced off the court by opponents where he's almost impossible to keep on the floor defensively. If he's holding his own decently, even on bad shooting nights, then I'll be pleased with the progress. And I don't even mean that defensively, just that he isn't an excessive net negative on the floor on those bad nights.

Post #19 » by **DeBlazerRiddem** » Sat Jun 29, 2019 4:11 am

Kid has good size, length, is practically made of quick-twitch muscles, gets into his shot lightening-fast and appears to have a good blend of confidence/work ethic. So yeah he has the tools, he could be a monster.

Emphasis on the could however because plenty of young players in this league have had the tools to be monsters. Every off-season we hear how this young player or that young player is going to take the next step and it only happens when it happens. Who knows though, maybe he has been destroying fools in the gym all summer.

DusterBuster · Post #20 » by **DusterBuster** » Sat Jun 29, 2019 4:23 am

DeBlazerRiddem wrote:Kid has good size, length, is practically made of quick-twitch muscles, gets into his shot lightening-fast and appears to have a good blend of confidence/work ethic. So yeah he has the tools, he could be a monster.

Emphasis on the could however because plenty of young players in this league have had the tools to be monsters. Every off-season we hear how this young player or that young player is going to take the next step and it only happens when it happens. Who knows though, maybe he has been destroying fools in the gym all summer.

Totally true, and there's just a ton of things that go into why a player is successful or not, luck has as much to do with it as skill.

One thing I'll say why there's reason to trust Olshey on this a bit, his background is in player development. I really believe that part of why the Blazers have had such a strong player development team over the past few years is solely because of Olshey and the team he put together for that part of the staff. For all his faults, I think one area it's hard to fault him on is that he has a really keen eye for talent and player development. So if he's this high on a kid, it's not just hyping a player for the sake of pumping up your own guys.