Around the League - 2019-2020

[jvalin]

Hard pass from POR on Harris for cj

What if the Sixers included Thybulle? I reckon he would be the perfect fit next to Lillard. The Blazers would have to send back a minor contract to make the salaries work.

I’d do that in a heartbeat. Would Simons work for you or would you need a FRP too?

I think MT is worth it.

I was thinking of a salary filler like Hezonja (assuming he picks up his player option).

https://tradenba.com/trades/7XO1Yq6dU

Personally speaking, I'm super low on Simons, but that's just me. I guess the Blazers GM values him a lot more than I do, cause otherwise he wouldn't have drafted him.

[JRoy]

What if the Sixers included Thybulle? I reckon he would be the perfect fit next to Lillard. The Blazers would have to send back a minor contract to make the salaries work.

I’d do that in a heartbeat. Would Simons work for you or would you need a FRP too?

I think MT is worth it.

I was thinking of a salary filler like Hezonja (assuming he picks up his player option).

https://tradenba.com/trades/7XO1Yq6dU

Personally speaking, I'm super low on Simons, but that's just me. I guess the Blazers GM values him a lot more than I do, cause otherwise he wouldn't have drafted him.

I’m right with you about Simons. He is literally the last player I wanted POR to draft. He’s weak at sg and even worse at pg.

You want Hezonja, take him with my compliments (and sympathy).

[jvalin]

How good is the guy the Celtics selected with the Lakers pick we traded them to?

I was looking at his college stats and he doesn’t look that good to be drafted that high.

Romeo Langford?

The pick made sense in that he put up great production as a freshman in a power conference. I don't like the intricacies of his game, though.

Can't really shoot. Can't guard anyone. Can score off the dribble a tad, but isn't an elite shotcreator. Might be an Alec Burks type, down the line.

I'm a Celtics fan. Here's how I would describe his game:

- He was a below average shooter this season. It seems likely that he'll become a better shooter in the future.
- He cannot shoot off the dribble.
- He's a terrific defender.
- He's very athletic.
- He's a good slasher.

Not that any of these is important regarding the upcoming games. He injured his wrist in our last game vs the Wizards. It looks like he may need surgery.

[stormi]

I’d do that in a heartbeat. Would Simons work for you or would you need a FRP too?

I think MT is worth it.

I was thinking of a salary filler like Hezonja (assuming he picks up his player option).

https://tradenba.com/trades/7XO1Yq6dU

Personally speaking, I'm super low on Simons, but that's just me. I guess the Blazers GM values him a lot more than I do, cause otherwise he wouldn't have drafted him.

I’m right with you about Simons. He is literally the last player I wanted POR to draft. He’s weak at sg and even worse at pg.

You want Hezonja, take him with my compliments (and sympathy).

That's interesting to me about Simons. You don't think it's something that his game can be groomed with time? I thought he was super shifty, with (potential) range and athleticism. The perfect prospect to learn from Dame and CJ.

[JRoy]

I was thinking of a salary filler like Hezonja (assuming he picks up his player option).

https://tradenba.com/trades/7XO1Yq6dU

Personally speaking, I'm super low on Simons, but that's just me. I guess the Blazers GM values him a lot more than I do, cause otherwise he wouldn't have drafted him.

I’m right with you about Simons. He is literally the last player I wanted POR to draft. He’s weak at sg and even worse at pg.

You want Hezonja, take him with my compliments (and sympathy).

That's interesting to me about Simons. You don't think it's something that his game can be groomed with time? I thought he was super shifty, with (potential) range and athleticism. The perfect prospect to learn from Dame and CJ in practice.

Simons has a lot of confidence and shoots quickly off the dribble. He is a bit shifty with his handle but his vision and finishing are pretty weak.

His supporters will point to the last game of last season where he put up monster numbers and the flashes he has shown.

I don’t think his athleticism does much for him, he routinely gets beaten and has zero consistency in his shot.

I’d much rather have a vet minimum guy at backup pg, Simons is almost unplayable.

[stormi]

I’m right with you about Simons. He is literally the last player I wanted POR to draft. He’s weak at sg and even worse at pg.

You want Hezonja, take him with my compliments (and sympathy).

That's interesting to me about Simons. You don't think it's something that his game can be groomed with time? I thought he was super shifty, with (potential) range and athleticism. The perfect prospect to learn from Dame and CJ in practice.

Simons has a lot of confidence and shoots quickly off the dribble. He is a bit shifty with his handle but his vision and finishing are pretty weak.

His supporters will point to the last game of last season where he put up monster numbers and the flashes he has shown.

I don’t think his athleticism does much for him, he routinely gets beaten and has zero consistency in his shot.

I’d much rather have a vet minimum guy at backup pg, Simons is almost unplayable.

So that's why you were so quick to throw him in the swap huh

[JRoy]

That's interesting to me about Simons. You don't think it's something that his game can be groomed with time? I thought he was super shifty, with (potential) range and athleticism. The perfect prospect to learn from Dame and CJ in practice.

Simons has a lot of confidence and shoots quickly off the dribble. He is a bit shifty with his handle but his vision and finishing are pretty weak.

His supporters will point to the last game of last season where he put up monster numbers and the flashes he has shown.

I don’t think his athleticism does much for him, he routinely gets beaten and has zero consistency in his shot.

I’d much rather have a vet minimum guy at backup pg, Simons is almost unplayable.

So that's why you were so quick to throw him in the swap huh

I’m in the minority among POR fans. Maybe I’m wrong; he is very young.

There is not much I like about his game. Maybe the practices with Lillard and CJ will hone his skills enough to make him useful. He’s among the worst players in the league now and that is not hyperbole.

[stormi]

Simons has a lot of confidence and shoots quickly off the dribble. He is a bit shifty with his handle but his vision and finishing are pretty weak.

His supporters will point to the last game of last season where he put up monster numbers and the flashes he has shown.

I don’t think his athleticism does much for him, he routinely gets beaten and has zero consistency in his shot.

I’d much rather have a vet minimum guy at backup pg, Simons is almost unplayable.

So that's why you were so quick to throw him in the swap huh

I’m in the minority among POR fans. Maybe I’m wrong; he is very young.

There is not much I like about his game. Maybe the practices with Lillard and CJ will hone his skills enough to make him useful. He’s among the worst players in the league now and that is not hyperbole.

I liked him a lot coming out of IMG. I could see his game faltering to translate to the next level seamlessly. He's like a struggle Trae Young w/ more bounce and not as gifted at thinking the game. Maybe him getting moved could be his Lavine to Chicago moment, but I can't see Portland letting both CJ and Anf go.

[JRoy]

So that's why you were so quick to throw him in the swap huh

I’m in the minority among POR fans. Maybe I’m wrong; he is very young.

There is not much I like about his game. Maybe the practices with Lillard and CJ will hone his skills enough to make him useful. He’s among the worst players in the league now and that is not hyperbole.

I liked him a lot coming out of IMG. I could see his game faltering to translate to the next level seamlessly. He's like a struggle Trae Young w/ more bounce and not as gifted at thinking the game. Maybe him getting moved could be his Lavine to Chicago moment, but I can't see Portland letting both CJ and Anf go.

You might be right. Neil Olshey is overly attached to CJ.

I’d move him in a heartbeat in this deal and give his minutes to Trent and a Thybulle.

[76ciology]

I think Blazers have a high chance to upset the Lakers.

Nurkic and Whiteside can slowdown AD. Their scoring is hard to match. The problem is a wing defender against Bron.

It’s a big problem when your best solution is Melo. Haha

[JRoy]

I’m hoping our guards can light up the scoreboard and our bugs can play close to even with AD. We don’t have a legit nba sf on the whole team so LBJ should go off and maybe we should focus on keeping the rest of the LAL contained.

[Roy The Natural]

What if the Sixers included Thybulle? I reckon he would be the perfect fit next to Lillard. The Blazers would have to send back a minor contract to make the salaries work.

I’d do that in a heartbeat. Would Simons work for you or would you need a FRP too?

I think MT is worth it.

Thybulle and Harris for CJ and Simons?

deal.

I think this is a tempting swap, but I'm not completely sold. I like JRoy, but he's not really someone to listen to with these trades. He's locked in on Thybulle while I still think there are some major questions about him, and I believe he has limited upside. JRoy would likely do this trade with just Thybulle+salary filler coming back, or even worse he'd take Al Horford's contract+Thybulle for the package. He's a true Blazer fan, but IMO a bit too obsessed with Thybulle.

I'm just really low on Tobias. I just don't really believe in him as an impact player. Everytime I watch Tobias it feels like he's not impacting the game at all. I think CJ would absolutely thrive in Philly, and would look great. I think that Tobias would look like an overpaid liability in Portland.

For me, in this trade, I think the Blazers give up the best player and the highest upside prospect. I think Simons has high-end upside. His chances of reaching it may not be as high as Thybulle's floor of being a good defensive role player, but I also am under no illusions that Thybulle will rectify his extremely limited offensive ability.

I would view the players this way:

CJ is a 3rd option who can regularly step up into 2nd option levels of scoring. I actually don't think he's a "bad" defender, he's just overmatched defending 2's regularly. In a situation where he's allowed to guard similarly sized players I think he'd grade as average to slightly below average.

Tobias Harris is a 3rd option who rarely steps up his scoring and reliability into 2nd options ranges. He's also a poor defender currently but I think suffers from being a tweener to where there's no real correct position where he can guard well. I also think his offense is less valuable as he doesn't space the floor as well.

Thybulle to me is much like a more naturally disruptive Aminu. I don't really believe in him as a player who will ever get beyond Aminu at his best, but as a 2/3 rather than a 3/4.

Simons is a weird one. He could either be Lou Williams, or out of the league in 2-4 years. He's athletic with a solid baseling for many skills. He needs to get stronger. He needs to work on getting some more arc on his shot, and he needs to work on his defense. He's been less aggressive since the bubble, and it's been good for him. His defense has also been better since he bubble IMO.

You can disagree with my takes, but that's sort of how I see it. All that being said, I wouldn't be horrified by the trade, but I don't think that it's as good a swap for Portland as some would have you believe.

[Wilfried]

I think Blazers have a high chance to upset the Lakers.

Nurkic and Whiteside can slowdown AD. Their scoring is hard to match. The problem is a wing defender against Bron.

It’s a big problem when your best solution is Melo. Haha

Lakers are going to have a hand full with Lillard too (you need to rely on Rondo I guess) and especially Nurkic.

The return of Nurk really makes this team so much better, these Blazers aren't a 8th seed. They are way better than Utah, Dallas, Denver, ...

Great performance in the last game of Ja Morant too btw. Very talented kid.

[76ciology]

I think Blazers have a high chance to upset the Lakers.

Nurkic and Whiteside can slowdown AD. Their scoring is hard to match. The problem is a wing defender against Bron.

It’s a big problem when your best solution is Melo. Haha

Lakers are going to have a hand full with Lillard too (you need to rely on Rondo I guess) and especially Nurkic.

The return of Nurk really makes this team so much better, these Blazers aren't a 8th seed. They are way better than Utah, Dallas, Denver, ...

Great performance in the last game of Ja Morant too btw. Very talented kid.

For the Blazers, the key is to slowdown AD.
This will force Lakers to rely on Kuzma or JR or Waiters.

LeBron had a lot of rest and this is just the first round though. So we may see a vintage performance of Bron carrying this squad.

In general, the way to beat the Lakers is to slowdown one or both LBJ or AD. Force them to rely on Kuz or JR or Waiters. Their morale really drops when those 3 starts pile up the bricks.

Nevertheless, Blazers isnt as bad as an 8th seed team like you pointed out.

Dame is still hot and CJ just got off from a good game. The way the bubble is played, seems like hot hand has a longer effect on guys.

[JRoy]

I’d do that in a heartbeat. Would Simons work for you or would you need a FRP too?

I think MT is worth it.

Thybulle and Harris for CJ and Simons?

deal.

I think this is a tempting swap, but I'm not completely sold. I like JRoy, but he's not really someone to listen to with these trades. He's locked in on Thybulle while I still think there are some major questions about him, and I believe he has limited upside. JRoy would likely do this trade with just Thybulle+salary filler coming back, or even worse he'd take Al Horford's contract+Thybulle for the package. He's a true Blazer fan, but IMO a bit too obsessed with Thybulle.

I'm just really low on Tobias. I just don't really believe in him as an impact player. Everytime I watch Tobias it feels like he's not impacting the game at all. I think CJ would absolutely thrive in Philly, and would look great. I think that Tobias would look like an overpaid liability in Portland.

For me, in this trade, I think the Blazers give up the best player and the highest upside prospect. I think Simons has high-end upside. His chances of reaching it may not be as high as Thybulle's floor of being a good defensive role player, but I also am under no illusions that Thybulle will rectify his extremely limited offensive ability.

I would view the players this way:

CJ is a 3rd option who can regularly step up into 2nd option levels of scoring. I actually don't think he's a "bad" defender, he's just overmatched defending 2's regularly. In a situation where he's allowed to guard similarly sized players I think he'd grade as average to slightly below average.

Tobias Harris is a 3rd option who rarely steps up his scoring and reliability into 2nd options ranges. He's also a poor defender currently but I think suffers from being a tweener to where there's no real correct position where he can guard well. I also think his offense is less valuable as he doesn't space the floor as well.

Thybulle to me is much like a more naturally disruptive Aminu. I don't really believe in him as a player who will ever get beyond Aminu at his best, but as a 2/3 rather than a 3/4.

Simons is a weird one. He could either be Lou Williams, or out of the league in 2-4 years. He's athletic with a solid baseling for many skills. He needs to get stronger. He needs to work on getting some more arc on his shot, and he needs to work on his defense. He's been less aggressive since the bubble, and it's been good for him. His defense has also been better since he bubble IMO.

You can disagree with my takes, but that's sort of how I see it. All that being said, I wouldn't be horrified by the trade, but I don't think that it's as good a swap for Portland as some would have you believe.

Opinions vary.

Thybulle is already an elite defensive player. If he can develop his jumper and all around game he would be an ideal fit next to Lillard.

He would certainly be an improvement over CJ who is A small, weak defender with zero point guard skills.

For POR to make the jump to the next level, we will have to take chances and I think Thybulle is one of only a few guys that might help make that jump. It will take more than him as we don’t have an nba caliber small forward on our roster.

[Sixerscan]

I think Blazers have a high chance to upset the Lakers.

Nurkic and Whiteside can slowdown AD. Their scoring is hard to match. The problem is a wing defender against Bron.

It’s a big problem when your best solution is Melo. Haha

Lakers are going to have a hand full with Lillard too (you need to rely on Rondo I guess) and especially Nurkic.

The return of Nurk really makes this team so much better, these Blazers aren't a 8th seed. They are way better than Utah, Dallas, Denver, ...

Great performance in the last game of Ja Morant too btw. Very talented kid.

For the Blazers, the key is to slowdown AD.
This will force Lakers to rely on Kuzma or JR or Waiters.

LeBron had a lot of rest and this is just the first round though. So we may see a vintage performance of Bron carrying this squad.

In general, the way to beat the Lakers is to slowdown one or both LBJ or AD. Force them to rely on Kuz or JR or Waiters. Their morale really drops when those 3 starts pile up the bricks.

Nevertheless, Blazers isnt as bad as an 8th seed team like you pointed out.

Dame is still hot and CJ just got off from a good game. The way the bubble is played, seems like hot hand has a longer effect on guys.

I think we’ve seen enough of playoff lebron to know what’s coming. He’s not gonna go all out to dominate a first round series when he’s expecting to make a deep run, but he’ll pick his spots and exploit their lack of anyone that can cover him when he needs to. Guessing it’s closer than a normal 1-8 but never really in doubt.

[76ciology]

For the season
Rockets only takes 5.5 mid range shots per game

In the bubble
Sixers is the second hottest three point shooting team at 41.6%

[76ciology]

Are u guys watching the Nugs-Jazz game? It’s low scoring. The refs is definitely allowing more contact. Looks like guys are struggling a lot with more defense.

[Negrodamus]

Man, I wish we had Donovan Mitchell.

[Negrodamus]

If you guys are watching this game, you'll see what I was talking about when I said Embiid needs to score 30-35 ppg for us to win. The Jazz are handing the ball over to their best player and he's absolutely feasting when it matters. If Embiid can't do that, we need to find someone this offseason who can.

As I type this, Nuggets are spamming Jokic offense. It's just how the playoffs are.