Ben Simmons formally demands trade

[jontaejones]

Draft picks!!!

The Nets actually GOT draft picks? Did I read that right?

 

[tlance]

In the regular season, yes. If the Nets are playing Drummond 25 minutes against the Bucks or Sixers in the playofs, he is going to get absolutely roasted.

Sure.

But the alternative is Blake Griffin who gets roasted even worse.

 

[tlance]

Just curious but why do you think the Sixers didn't improve their chances at winning a title? They have a guy right now that is the favorite to be the MVP. They have decent depth, outside the 5, and their starting 5 should be one of the best in the NBA this season.

If you want to say that they aren't a favorite that's fine. Arguing that trading Seth Curry and Drummond for Harden doesn't improve their title chances this year seems pretty silly.

They did for sure.

They went from just barely above zero to a legitimate dark horse puncher’s chance.

It is just that Brooklyn went from a team in turmoil to a potential juggernaut. They added fit and depth.

 

[flyerhawk]

Because he might be the most ball dominant player in the entire league.

Yeah, he gets a lot of assists because he is a good passer and he always has the ball.

But do you really want the offense running through Harden instead of Embiid?

Because Harden has never been asked to play any other way.

A year from now, I think you Philly fans may be looking at this deal like the Lakers are looking at Russ.

It's certainly possible that this will blow up in the Sixers face. That same could have been said if they traded for Beal or Lillard.

I am absolutely fine with Harden running the offense and working a 2 man game with Embiid. In fact, that sounds pretty fantastic.

Assuming they stay healthy, the Sixers will almost certainly be one of the top offenses in the league this year. The questions will revolve around the defense and rebounding. Harden, surprisingly, help with rebounding but no one will ever accuse him of being strong defensively.

 

[flyerhawk]

They did for sure.

They went from just barely above zero to a legitimate dark horse puncher’s chance.

It is just that Brooklyn went from a team in turmoil to a potential juggernaut. They added fit and depth.

We have no idea how Simmons is going to actually play this season, though. I GUARANTEE that teams in the playoffs will be going to hack a Ben early and often, trying to rattle him. It remains to be seen whether he's learned to deal with that.

 

[The Q]

They did for sure.

They went from just barely above zero to a legitimate dark horse puncher’s chance.

It is just that Brooklyn went from a team in turmoil to a potential juggernaut. They added fit and depth.

If Kyrie can't play the road games they'd have a pretty solid chance.

 

[jontaejones]

They did for sure.

They went from just barely above zero to a legitimate dark horse puncher’s chance.

It is just that Brooklyn went from a team in turmoil to a potential juggernaut. They added fit and depth.

I think a team of Durant, Kyrie and Harden that is healthy and happy is basically unbeatable.

I think Simmons is closer to Kyrie in terms of what he brings in terms of helping a team win.

So, basically instead of two As and a B, you have one A and two Bs.

I'm still trying to figure out why Harden wanted to be traded. I guess he figured Durant wasn't dependable enough health wise.

 

[trojanfan12]

Explain to me how this doesn't help the Sixers' chances when Simmons wasn't even on the court.

Well, I've made it pretty clear, but I will try to explain differently.

With KD, Harden and Kyrie, a Nets team that is full and healthy, is the favorite to not just come out of the East, but win the title. They had 2 somewhat glaring weaknesses that teams could hope to exploit...their lack of defense and their best big being Blake Griffin.

The Sixers just handed over an elite level defender who also happens to have elite ballhandling and passing skills and is a very good finisher at the rim in Simmons. They also gave them Drummond, who isn't great, but is an upgrade over Griffin (especially defensively) and Curry who is a career 43.7% shooter from 3.

While Harden is a great scorer and excellent passer, he is ball dominant and doesn't play defense.

So again, it's not about the Sixers not improving, it's that in doing so, they improved a team that was already better than them and that they are likely to have to go through to win the East, by more than they improve themselves and maybe significantly more.

 

[jontaejones]

Well, I've made it pretty clear, but I will try to explain differently.

With KD, Harden and Kyrie, a Nets team that is full and healthy, is the favorite to not just come out of the East, but win the title. They had 2 somewhat glaring weaknesses that teams could hope to exploit...their lack of defense and their best big being Blake Griffin.

The Sixers just handed over an elite level defender who also happens to have elite ballhandling and passing skills and is a very good finisher at the rim in Simmons. They also gave them Drummond, who isn't great, but is an upgrade over Griffin (especially defensively) and Curry who is a career 43.7% shooter from 3.

While Harden is a great scorer, he is ball dominant and doesn't play defense.

So again, it's not about the Sixers not improving, it's that in doing so, they improved a team that was already better than them and that they are likely to have to go through to win the East, by more than they improve themselves and maybe significantly more.

Yea, but they didn't have Simmons is the thing.

So you have to compare the 2021-2022 team versus the team they have now with Harden.

 

[trojanfan12]

Just curious but why do you think the Sixers didn't improve their chances at winning a title?

Are you and igloo on the wacky tobbacky today? Not sure how many more times I have to explain it, but check out post #3828. If that post doesn't help...

 

[fightinfunbags]

Are you and igloo on the wacky tobbacky today? Not sure how many more times I have to explain it, but check out post #3828. If that post doesn't help...

I was saying all this earlier today.

 

[trojanfan12]

Yea, but they didn't have Simmons is the thing.

So you have to compare the 2021-2022 team versus the team they have now with Harden.

It doesn't matter whether or not they had Simmons. What the Sixers gave the Nets improves the Nets by more than what the addition of Harden improves the Sixers.

 

[flyerhawk]

Sure.

But the alternative is Blake Griffin who gets roasted even worse.

Marginally.

 

[flyerhawk]

It doesn't matter whether or not they had Simmons. What the Sixers gave the Nets improves the Nets by more than what the addition of Harden improves the Sixers.

Assuming that Simmons comes in and does what everyone thinks he should/could.

If he turns into a glorified Bruce Bowen, not so much.

 

[trojanfan12]

I was saying all this earlier today.

Imo, the Sixers would have been better off trading with the Lakers for Westbrook because it probably wouldn't have cost them Curry and I'm only about half kidding.

They should have gone back and revisited the Sacramento deal, that would have improved the Sixers without improving the Nets.

 

[fightinfunbags]

Imo, the Sixers would have been better off trading with the Lakers for Westbrook because it probably wouldn't have cost them Curry and I'm only about half kidding.

They should have gone back and revisited the Sacramento deal, that would have improved the Sixers without improving the Nets.

Agree on Kings not Westbrook. He’s cooked

 

[The Q]

Imo, the Sixers would have been better off trading with the Lakers for Westbrook because it probably wouldn't have cost them Curry and I'm only about half kidding.

They should have gone back and revisited the Sacramento deal, that would have improved the Sixers without improving the Nets.

Harris for Russ would’ve been something

 

[flyerhawk]

Just to be clear, I'm not predicting the Sixers will or won't be great. I just hate when people make definitive claims about how a trade will turn out, hours after the trade happens.

It's possible that the Embiid/Harden pairing will be like Astaire/Rogers and they will be dancing around everyone. It's possible that they are constantly hurt and never find a rhythm and are an early round exit. Who the heck knows?

What I do know is that had Embiid and Harris not got Covid they would likely be leading the Eastern Conference by a few games and they just got significantly better this year.

The Nets are going to be formidable and Simmons could be a key piece to turning them into a juggernaut. Or Simmons may never mesh well with KD and Kyrie and KD never really recovers from his injury.

I remember when the Knicks traded Ziggy to the Mavs and they got roasted all over the place.

 

[jontaejones]

It doesn't matter whether or not they had Simmons. What the Sixers gave the Nets improves the Nets by more than what the addition of Harden improves the Sixers.

In a long term view, I think the Nets definitely made out, as Simmons has new life and the draft picks and Curry ... meh, who knows.

And once Harden is unhappy, he won't play hard and he's leaving once the year is out.

But in the short term view of a happy healthy Harden versus Simmons, Curry and Drummond, I think Harden by a considerable margin.

 

[flyerhawk]

Imo, the Sixers would have been better off trading with the Lakers for Westbrook because it probably wouldn't have cost them Curry and I'm only about half kidding.

LMFAO!!! You shouldn't even be 10% kidding with this.