Is he actually a point guard? I'm wondering what's the best players to put around Deni. I think Shae is fine, and Tou is great, but is Simons actually the best guard to put with Deni? Or Can Scoot fill the role of off ball shooter? Is Deni actually a poor man's Luka?
I think he's a wing and a great secondary playmaker who can be your primary playmaker in a pinch. He's not a guard but he's quick and fast for his size. He's a really versatile basketball player because you could put him at the 3 with a true PF type and he'd have the foot speed to handle that on defense but you could put him as the only forward next to a C and three guards and he'd be great at that to. A lot of ways to use him and that's a great thing to have.
I like him at PF, honestly feel like we have our starting lineup next year. Scoot, Sharpe, Tou, Deni, Clingan. From there you can try and upgrade one of those players but they give you everything you need from starting lineup minus maybe great 3 point shooting but I think they have all shown they have ability to hit the 3 and should continue to improve. defensively Sharpe is probably your weakest defender of that group but also has the highest upside offensively and easily could be a good defender. you have to hope one of these players can become a superstar and I believe at least one will. If not we have a slough of draft picks and swaps that should have value including the bucks picks/swaps (I think they blow up monster no later than next year) future looks bright
PF. Power forward. He isnt the biggest but with clingan backing him up, he seems to be the perfect fit at four. Scoot/Shae/Tou/Deni/Clingan Still has a ton of growth potential. So exited about what this team is growing into!
Forward/Wing Not a PG. His assist/turnover ratio is 1.43. That's not anywhere close to a PG standard. When Mason Plumlee was a Blazer, his assist/turnover ratio was 1.98. He wasn't a PG either
PF and able to capably switch on D, so he (like Toumani) won’t be the target for switches. Donovan, Deni, Toumani (DDT) look pretty good for the future. As 1 Eye Jack said, try to upgrade one of the 5 … trade, draft, or (less likely) free agency. Since Toumani is more switchable 1-4, getting shooters who capably D up is key. No undersized guards, please. 2004. Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, Tayshaun Prince, Richard Hamilton, Chauncy Billups AND a pretty strong bench. No superstar BUT multi-stars who fit. Nobody in the NBA has that depth of serious talent. How many of Portland’s ‘young 5’ would fit on that team’s playoff rotation — maybe in a couple years?
Deni is perfect for the modern NBA in that he doesn't need a position. He can play wherever you need and do at worst a serviceable job. I think trying to say "he's this" does him and yourself a disservice. He's just a basketball player, who is best playing anywhere from 2-4 but can be a secondary initiator and a small-ball 5. He's not Luka because he doesn't create as well on the perimeter and isn't the passer, but he's much better as a rebounder and attacking the hoop. Turns it over a little too much to be your primary ballhandler, IMO, but he's great to have to give Scoot or Ant a trip or two to catch their breath. Also creates huge matchup problems. Lastly, I think the way he plays also limits how much you use him and how you might use him against certain opponents, so I don't think you build around him so much as you build your team and he's just so adaptable that he'll find the best way to incorporate himself. He's NBA Darwin ... he evolves to fill the niche the environment provides for him. Such a luxury for a team to have.
Deni to me is a natural 3 with Toumani as a natural Power Forward..gives you that Chief and Mo Harkless defensive tag team but adds offense as well. With Deni and Tou and Matisse and Murray coming off the bench we never lose defensive pressure on the best players in the league. It's a great game plan.
Because position dictates who else you play on the floor. Who is our best off ball guard right now? Probably Simons? Deni drives a ton and you want guys around him who can shoot. Unfortunately Shaedon has been awful from three this year. Scoot has gotten a lot better. But Simons is still probably our best spot up three point shooting guard. So having him on the floor with Deni to space and knock down shots is really important.
If we were to commit to Deni as our PG with Simons as a small 2 alongside a big 1, does that clear the way to try to offer Scoot and/or Sharpe as part of a package for Zion?
I think my favorite play of the season was when he blocked a shot, gained possession of the ball and pushed the ball up the floor finishing with a dunk. Don’t remember our opponent.
That's kind of what I'm wondering. Maybe not for Zion, but if Deni is really our best player, I would be trying to put players around him who can shoot. Right now that's not Sharpe. We're also going to be in a position where we have to make a decision about Sharpe very soon. But I guess another question is - will Simons even WANT to re-sign here?
