GeorgeMarcus wrote:moistnessfiscal wrote:GeorgeMarcus wrote:
So what you're telling me is, there's no difference between Ben's 3pt shooting ability versus Westbrook's? Since the defense won't defend them either way? What a relief. Please tell this to everyone obsessing over Ben's unwillingness to shoot 3s.
In any situation in the playoffs, I'll take the provenly better player: Simmons. Perhaps it is you who should "expect to be disappointed".
Westbrook shot 36.4% on 2.8 catch and shoot attempts per game which shows a modicum of skill enough for defences to marginally guard him on such attempts, his pull-up attempts though tell another story and defenders rightfully sag off. Ben's majority of his three-point attempts will likely come from lightly guarded or catch and shoot attempts, which he will shoot likely less than 30% on such attempts. If anything Ben's three-point shooting would likely compare more to Rondae Hollis-Jefferson's first season at 28% on less than an attempt per game as there is no precedent of him shooting at even a mediocre level.
As to your playoff point, what has he proven? Sure he's a terrific transition player, a generational passer, a good defender, and can score in the post and paint efficiently, but he's merely a third-option in the half-court right now, and that's much easier to replace than an efficient scorer like Doncic even if his defence is questionable. If getting kicked out in second rounds in consecutive years is proven then so be it. Without Embiid, it would've likely been a 5 game series...
I doubt any of Ben’s 3pt attempts will come from catch and shoot situations. He’s our primary facilitator. We just need him to be able to take wide open 3s so that, when he brings the ball up the court, the defense doesn’t pack the paint/play 5 on 4.
To your “what has he proven” question, he was ROY in his 1st season, an All Star in his 2nd season and won over 50 games/a playoff series both years. That’s about as good as a resume gets in 2 years.
Why is Luka an efficient scorer and not Ben? Ben shot 58.2 TS% versus Luka’s 54.5%. Both were marginally affected by the buzzer beating heaves they took over the course of the season.
How do you think these wide open looks are generated? Definitely not created off the dribble I can tell you that. The volume of threes will build up through kick outs and off help defence if he’s willing to take them, hence the catch and shoots, and he will make sub 30% a la Rondae Hollis Jefferson and Stanley Johnson.
We define “proven” differently so we can agree to disagree. I’ve said Ben “can score in the post and paint efficiently” so you’re really just nitpicking here, the essence of that argument pertains to Doncic’s three-level scoring ability, his diversity in the half-court, the spacing he provides off-ball, this skill is essential for first and second options and is a “rare commodity” quoting a post in this thread and the nexus of the argument for Doncic over Simmons. Ben is too one dimensional and hence easy to gameplan for in the playoffs, having some sort of ambiguity to their games help drastically in playoff situations, unless if you’re shaq or giannis, and Ben is a couple tiers below that level.
Would like to add if Doncic was in the East there would be a strong argument for him making the all-star team last year.
