I was mostly confused why we picked someone that seems to duplicate what we already have after we'd already signed two other young guards in FA, and who we wouldn't count on to start anytime soon unless we make a CJ trade, and Neil doesn't seem like he'd trade CJ for anyone but LeBron.
But yeah after watching Simons his potential is very obvious. Still not sure how he fits yet. My guess is no one really does, Neil just went with who he thought had the highest ceiling at that pick.
The conventional wisdom when picking that late is you go with BPA. Many recommend picking the BPA no matter where you are drafting. Some people were just as flabbergasted when we "wasted" a lottery pick on C.J. when we already had Wesley Matthews as our starting SG. We all know how that worked out.
In any case, many people who were shitting all over Olshey on draft night, are now signing Simons' praises.
Having actually watched him play, it's easy to see why many draft sites had him pegged as a lottery pick next year, if he hadn't declared for this year's draft. The talent is clearly there. What is surprising most people is his composure. His defense has also looked much better than expected for a "skinny 19-year old kid with no college experience".
There wasn't anyone available at 24 that would instantly vault us into contention, so why not go with the most talented player available and sort it all out down the road? At the very least, Simons could turn out to be a valuable trading ship (although now, I'm hoping we keep him).
Concerning Curry and Stauskas - both are on cheap 1-yer deals. They, pus Baldwin, will initially get the bulk of the Connaughton/Napier minutes. Neil probably figured Simons and Trent Jr., both being just 19, wouldn't be ready to crack the rotation this season, but if they are it's a good thing. Who knows, it may be Curry or Stauskas who ends up being a trading chip at the deadline.
Of course, the elephant in the room is the possibility of trading C.J. for a significant upgrade at one of the forward spots. Curry and Stauskas can hold down the fort until Simons is ready to slide into the C.J. roll. We're certainly much deeper at guard than we've been in a very long time, which opens up many options for possible trades.
Bottom line, it's looking like a great pick at 24. The young man may be ready to compete at the NBA level sooner than most had assumed.
BNM
