https://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/...-part-3-guards-the-most-intriguing-group.html Pretty good article on the guard situation and I know a lot of you will agree with their assessment. But I will continue to debate part of it. First off I agree with this part: (Other than the part where he is the best player) "Anfernee Simons is arguably the best player on the team, but he is on the smaller side for a shooting guard and not quite a true point guard. Shaedon Sharpe is the most gifted player on the roster but has yet to establish any consistency after two seasons. Scoot Henderson is the team’s best true point guard but must improve as a shooter" The part I would debate is this: "A successful season means ...: Henderson establishes himself as a viable starting point guard. Sharpe does the same at shooting guard. Simons drives up his value and is traded by next summer for assets to help the rebuild. I am a Simon's fan, and I would like to keep him long-term. But because he is a combo guard due to his size, he will not be a starter anywhere. So if he does play well enough to drive up his value, he still won't bring back enough assets to be worth trading him (based on the premise that he plays well) To me, the best scenario is all three play well, and they keep them all with Simons coming off the bench. If this happens I can see Sharpe getting a big contract, Simons getting an extension but not a raise. (No one is going to give him more because he is a combo guard best suited to come oof the bench) Scoot will get a similar contract as Simons, but I doubt he will ever get anything close to a max deal. Only Sharpe has the potential to do so and that is still a long shot. So I guess my point is I would not worry so much about their combined salary being a problem until they have to, because for that to happen they will all have to play great....... and that is not a bad thing.
it's my position that a player in his 7th season, like Simons, who has had stretches of really good offense added to consistently terrible defense, is not going to increase his value in any significant way, no matter how well he plays. The NBA knows who he is as a player and won't be persuaded by the kinds of hot streaks all shooters have so no, I don't believe the Blazers will be able to ratchet up Ant's value. That strategy is pointless I'm the opposite of you...I don't like Ant's game and I know he's not going to be coming off the bench. I want him gone and his absence would be no loss at all, short term or long term
I am still trying to figure out how all you guys "know" he won't come off the bench long-term. Granted I can see it short-term if Scoot struggles, but inevitably that is his best role.
I suspect you are correct in saying Ant's best role is coming off the bench. But ego is a huge part of professional sports. Ant's ego will not allow him to come off the bench in the city he was drafted in. It is a demotion and it is easier on the ego to be traded or signed to a new city, compete for a starting spot, come up short and then accept a bench role. Ego is what I was talking about last night in the KAT thread. He was the man in Minny for all those seasons, but now they want to turn it over to their Ant. They know his ego won't allow that so they moved him and got a pretty fair deal.
Deni's arms look huge. Much bigger than I was expecting. He's now listed at 240lbs. Dude is going to be a physical problem for most small forwards.
I agree that it often works that way. It often does take a trade or two for a player to realize that the best role for them is to come off the bench. But we are not talking about some high-profile player here. The casual fan does not even know who the hell he is. Does he have that big of an ego? I don't think any of us know. Most young players want to get paid, get minutes, and get wins. He got paid, he will still get his minutes, and the only way they will win is if they add more talent. I say let's try upgrading the talent so he can come off the bench. If Scoot can't beat him out then that is on Scoot. Chancey is not married to Ant. He will play who fits best together. Every team needs scoring off the bench, especially us.
it is completely impractical, IMO Lou Williams was 6MOY 3 times. He was comparable to Ant as a scorer; a little better as a passer; and arguably, a better defender his highest salary as a 6th man was 8M in 2020-21. That season, the salary cap was 109.1M. This season, the cap is 140.6M. Projecting Lou's 8M salary to 2024-25 dollars, it would be 10.3M. Ant's 25.9M salary is 2.5X as much as what Williams was paid. Naz Reid was 6MOY last season with a 14M salary; his salary this season will be 10.8M less than Ant's. Malcolm Brogdan may be the closest comp in terms of salary as a 6th man. He made 22.6M. But he was a 6'5 PG who shot over 40% from three and played good versatile defense. He was also on a team good enough to afford the luxury of a very expensive 6th man. The Celtics paid 69M in tax penalties the year Brogdon was 6MOY. Just go back to last season, who would have been a better 6th man, Brogdon or Ant?
That was the first thing I noticed as well. I watched every video I could see of him from last year and I was not expecting that either. I think it is easier to find a versatile SF than it is to find a versatile PF. So that makes the trade that much better IMO. Even if he drops 10 lbs during the season he will be big enough for most PFs these days.
I don't see them moving Ant, I believe he will start either along side Scoot or Shae. Of course anyone on this team is tradable for the right deal....
I seriously doubt he'll be playing at 240. I'm skeptical that's his weight right now; maybe traditional PF's have kind of vanished. Very few PF's use their mass as leverage these days. Way back in the Drexler days, PF's were physical beasts: Karl Malone; Charles Oakley; Barkley; Buck; McHale; Rodman; Michael Cage; Otis Thorpe....are there any PF's like those guys these days?
It did sound that way listening to Grant and Ant give different answers to the same question about discussions with Cronin.
Ant will be our best player and leading scorer as long as he is on this roster. I could have cut/pasted this from LAST October when people were on here actually saying he would come off the bench. You all should get ready for heavy ISO ball with Grant and Ant for the first few months of this season.
he wasn't the best player last season; that was Brogdon. Ayton was probably 2nd best. Ant and Grant probably tied for 3rd
