Anfernee Simons is unbelievable

[Pinwheel1]

Then what are you saying Ant is above criticism over?

"Whipping boy" indicates that someone is being unfairly targeted... in this case, I took that to be Ant being disproportionately blamed for the team overall being bad.

What level of criticism/eagerness to trade him to improve the team would not cause you to feel the frustration that seemed to be in your post?

No one is above criticism.
Yes, that is exactly what has happened, he gets disproportionately blamed for the team being nad when they have intentionally tanked at the end of the last 3 seasons, and for the lack of development from our younger players, and for any salary cap issues.

I have no problem trading him if it helps improve the team. The problem is most proposals do not.

 

[Pinwheel1]

I don't think I've really ever complained about Ant before. Aside from saying I think it's time to move off of him.

I don't think I have said that you did.

 

[Phatguysrule]

I don't think I have said that you did.

Yeah, just making the statement since there seems to be a feeling like I'm a Simons hater. Not necessarily from you.

I'm not. He seems like a good kid. He's just not the kind of player I want to have penciled in if I'm starting a team from scratch. And that's pretty much what we're doing.

I'd rather have a lotto pick. And a good well rounded vet for salary matching purposes.

 

[TBpup]

We should pray we land a player as talented as ANT on the offensive end who has an actual position in this draft.

FTFY

 

[beast blazer]

I don't want Sharpe, Scoot, and Ayton to work on cleaning up Ant's scraps. I want them getting experience running the team. And I'd prefer if they could do that more than a few minutes per game.

Look at the difference in Scoot, Sharpe, and Ayton's offensive efficiency with Ant on the floor compared to without him.

Then look at it with Grant on the floor and without him.

Let us know what you find.

I don't think Anferee is really a bad chucker. He shoots about the league average TS% while the rest of the team is well under. He doesn't take as many shots per 36 as Damian.

If you look at the numbers: as to what area the Blazers were terrible at, and which players were terrible at that metric, you'll see it's the Blazers surrounding cast and their poor shooting percentages which was the culprit.

You can not like Ant, but it wouldn't be addition by subtraction of he left. Not with this team as is anyway...

 

[Phatguysrule]

I don't think Anferee is really a bad chucker. He shoots about the league average TS% while the rest of the team is well under. He doesn't take as many shots per 36 as Damian.

If you look at the numbers: as to what area the Blazers were terrible at, and which players were terrible at that metric, you'll see it's the Blazers surrounding cast and their poor shooting percentages which was the culprit.

You can not like Ant, but it wouldn't be addition by subtraction of he left. Not with this team as is anyway...

Simons job as PG is to make his teammates better. Players should be better when he's on the court with him. Dame made his teammates better. Nearly everyone had career years in Portland.

Ant doesn't do that.

 

[Phatguysrule]

I don't think Anferee is really a bad chucker. He shoots about the league average TS% while the rest of the team is well under. He doesn't take as many shots per 36 as Damian.

If you look at the numbers: as to what area the Blazers were terrible at, and which players were terrible at that metric, you'll see it's the Blazers surrounding cast and their poor shooting percentages which was the culprit.

You can not like Ant, but it wouldn't be addition by subtraction of he left. Not with this team as is anyway...

I didn't say it would be addition by subtraction if he left. I've said many times that we need to get a good return.

And never once have I said that I don't like him. Again, he seems like a nice guy.

 

[SharpesTriumph]

Well, the team sucks.

Who is to blame? Who is not good enough? How can we improve the roster and the future of the team?

If the Blazers just won a title and posters were complaining about Simons and Cronin and Billups and Grant and others, I would agree it's just madness.

But this team is horrible on the court and it lacks many bright spots on the roster for four or five years from now. I like Ant and think he can be a good player on a good team, but there's no reason to act like he's too talented to give up and/or he doesn't have holes in his game.

Ant gets more blame than anyone on the team. The Blazers aren't horrible because of Ant. Pretty obvious they were horrible all the games he missed.

I think some of us fans just get turned off by fellow Blazer fans picking a scapegoat and singling them out repeatedly. It was CJ for years, then Stotts, then Meyers, then Nurk. Now it's Ant. In a few years it'll probably be Sharpe.

The Blazers aren't terrible because of any one player, even though there is a constant vocal group of fans that target one player.

 

[Phatguysrule]

Ant gets more blame than anyone on the team. The Blazers aren't horrible because of Ant. Pretty obvious they were horrible all the games he missed.

I think some of us fans just get turned off by fellow Blazer fans picking a scapegoat and singling them out repeatedly. It was CJ for years, then Stotts, then Meyers, then Nurk. Now it's Ant. In a few years it'll probably be Sharpe.

The Blazers aren't terrible because of any one player, even though there is a constant vocal group of fans that target one player.

I don't care about the wins right now. Or how capable the team is right now. I care about teamwork and doing the little things.

That's where you start building a great team, IMO. And you have to build that from the ground up.

Gotta move off of the guys who don't do that, IMO.

But you're right. It's not Ant's fault that the team is bad. Not yet.

 

[beast blazer]

If Scoot turns into a good PG it would probably be good to trade Simons as a roster balance move. Scoot might be good...but become good, but right now, he sucks.

 

[sheed30]

Ant gets more blame than anyone on the team. The Blazers aren't horrible because of Ant. Pretty obvious they were horrible all the games he missed.

I think some of us fans just get turned off by fellow Blazer fans picking a scapegoat and singling them out repeatedly. It was CJ for years, then Stotts, then Meyers, then Nurk. Now it's Ant. In a few years it'll probably be Sharpe.

The Blazers aren't terrible because of any one player, even though there is a constant vocal group of fans that target one player.

100% man. Couldn't have said it better.

 

[sheed30]

Simons job as PG is to make his teammates better. Players should be better when he's on the court with him. Dame made his teammates better. Nearly everyone had career years in Portland.

Ant doesn't do that.

Did Dame make his teammates better though? Let's be honest. And how many PG's in todays NBA make their teammates better? Please list them for me. Haliburton? Mike Conley? Luka? There isn't many in today's NBA.

Once again a weak argument to bring up.

 

[Phatguysrule]

Did Dame make his teammates better though? Let's be honest. And how many PG's in todays NBA make their teammates better? Please list them for me. Haliburton? Mike Conley? Luka? There isn't many in today's NBA.

Once again a weak argument to bring up.

A lot of guys had their best seasons in Portland with Dame. He clearly made guys better. I don't even know how this is a question.

Yes, good point guards make their teammates better, or at least hekp them reach their peak.

If that's not what you expect from a point guard I guess I understand your position better and we'll just have to agree to disagree.

What you're looking for in a PG isn't what I'm looking for. That's okay.

Oh, wait, is this where I'm supposed to say your position is wrong and you don't know what you're talking about? Face. And all that...

It's just an opinion. Again I don't know why you've got your pantys in a twist over it.

 

[sheed30]

A lot of guys had their best seasons in Portland with Dame. He clearly made guys better. I don't even know how this is a question.

Yes, good point guards make their teammates better, or at least hekp them reach their peak.

If that's not what you expect from a point guard I guess I understand your position better and we'll just have to agree to disagree.

What you're looking for in a PG isn't what I'm looking for. That's okay.

Oh, wait, is this where I'm supposed to say your position is wrong and you don't know what you're talking about? Face. And all that...

It's just an opinion. Again I don't know why you've got your pantys in a twist over it.

C.J? he did that on his own lol... Nurk? Harkless and Aminu? lol

You spite out your thoughts about Ant all the time and me and others have just countered some of the silly things you have said, and now we have our panties in a twist?

Sorry that some's people counter points have been great to some of thoughts you have thrown out. It's a forum after all, if you can say something someone is allowed to counter it, simple isn't it?

 

[Phatguysrule]

C.J? he did that on his own lol... Nurk? Harkless and Aminu? lol

You spite out your thoughts about Ant all the time and me and others have just countered some of the silly things you have said, and now we have our panties in a twist?

Sorry that some's people counter points have been great to some of thoughts you have thrown out. It's a forum after all, if you can say something someone is allowed to counter it, simple isn't it?

I literally said that's okay in the post that you replied to...

You don't have to try and make it personal. No, I do not speak negatively on Simons very often.

You're being oversensitive or thinking of somebody else.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Lol. This isn't personal. I'm not making Ant anything. He is a poor man's Dame, but worse at defense not even close to as effective offensively.

We already tried that. If Scoot isn't the answer then we'll have an opportunity to draft or trade for somebody better.

Ant isn't the kind of player I would build around. He dominates the ball far too much and is far too bad at defense. If we already had an established team and he were coming off the bench it might be okay.

We suck. We're going to get the opportunity to draft a lot of talent. We don't have to settle for an incomplete players like Ant. That's all this is.

You don't like Ant, you're not alone.
However, had Milwaukee traded for Ant instead of Lillard, they'd still have their starting PG, and they'd be MUCH better than they are.

 

[Phatguysrule]

You don't like Ant, you're not alone.
However, had Milwaukee traded for Ant instead of Lillard, they'd still have their starting PG, and they'd be MUCH better than they are.

You're saying I don't like Ant. I've never said that. I've only given observations on his production and abilities. I don't think he is a good fit here, for the team I would like to see built.

Yep, that's exactly the situation I've said Ant would be ideal for.

 

[Wizard Mentor]

You're saying I don't like Ant. I've never said that. I've only given observations on his production and abilities. I don't think he is a good fit here, for the team I would like to see built.

Yep, that's exactly the situation I've said Ant would be ideal for.

Our point of agreement might look something like: Ant is great as a 3rd option on any team, including a contender. However, he's been thrust into a 1st or 2nd option, which is not ideal... Same with Grant.

 

[sheed30]

You don't like Ant, you're not alone.
However, had Milwaukee traded for Ant instead of Lillard, they'd still have their starting PG, and they'd be MUCH better than they are.

Ya my other thing is, if we are going to trade Ant, let’s get equal value back at least.

the ones that are saying trade him to Orlando for Black and WCJ are smoking crack lol, sorry to say. That’s one of the worse deals I have seen ever on here.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Ya my other thing is, if we are going to trade Ant, let’s get equal value back at least.

What do you believe "equal value" to be?

 

[andalusian]

What do you believe "equal value" to be?

Bam Adebayo. I suggest we contact Miami pronto to consummate said trade. We will even give them a future pick, lottery protected.

 

[blazerkor]

Ya my other thing is, if we are going to trade Ant, let’s get equal value back at least.

the ones that are saying trade him to Orlando for Black and WCJ are smoking crack lol, sorry to say. That’s one of the worse deals I have seen ever on here.

I think that without an Ayton trade that WCJ would make absolutely no sense for this roster. I think that Black and the more favorable of Orlando and Denver's 2025 FRPs along with maybe another future first would be a solid return.

 

[PCmor7]

Is it time for the mods to change the title of this thread to "Anfernee Simons is available"?

 

[PCmor7]

I think that without an Ayton trade that WCJ would make absolutely no sense for this roster. I think that Black and the more favorable of Orlando and Denver's 2025 FRPs along with maybe another future first would be a solid return.

I don't want Black, but you're right about WCJ. It no longer makes sense unless you're acquiring him to move him somewhere else.

 

[SharpesTriumph]

I think that without an Ayton trade that WCJ would make absolutely no sense for this roster. I think that Black and the more favorable of Orlando and Denver's 2025 FRPs along with maybe another future first would be a solid return.

With Clingan now WCJ makes even less sense here... it would be need to be a 3way where he is routed to OKC or somewhere.

 

[SharpesTriumph]

Is it time for the mods to change the title of this thread to "Anfernee Simons is available"?

Nate Duncan mentioned a few days ago there was zero talk from Portland side about trading Simons.

With Brogdon gone and no potential 3rd guard added I'd think he is now even less likely to be traded?

Seems like the Blazers may want to first see the trio of guards to start the year (played 0 full games together)

Now if Cronin Scoot/Sharpe comment or Simons frustration with losing at the end of the year mean more perhaps there are trade talks happening.

 

[PCmor7]

Nate Duncan mentioned a few days ago there was zero talk from Portland side about trading Simons.

With Brogdon gone and no potential 3rd guard added I'd think he is now even less likely to be traded?

Seems like the Blazers may want to first see the trio of guards to start the year (played 0 full games together)

Now if Cronin Scoot/Sharpe comment or Simons frustration with losing at the end of the year mean more perhaps there are trade talks happening.

We don't know what will happen today, though.

 

[SharpesTriumph]

We don't know what will happen today, though.

When long standing rumors have been flying around about the Blazers most of them seem to come true. Blazers were high on Grant, then traded for him. Blazers were high on Sharpe, then picked him. Blazers were high on Ayton, then traded for him. Blazers were high on Clingan, then picked him.

Only rumors with Ant have been that the Blazers aren't discussing trades for him or the Blazers are still high on him. Now the backcourt logjam is gone too. So seems like we should expect he isn't traded?

 

[BIG Q]

I would like to see Ant moved for a pick and a backup PG that has come off the bench through his career. Not expecting two picks but will happily take them. Not expecting a great young prospect either. Other teams know the position Portland is in with their backcourt. They also know Ant would most likely be a Lou Williams type instant offense off the bench. I seriously doubt he would accept that role in Portland, but he might. But then does Portland need a sixth man making his salary? I doubt it. No need to discuss his lack of _efense.

 

[Pinwheel1]

I would like to see Ant moved for a pick and a backup PG that has come off the bench through his career. Not expecting two picks but will happily take them. Not expecting a great young prospect either. Other teams know the position Portland is in with their backcourt. They also know Ant would most likely be a Lou Williams type instant offense off the bench. I seriously doubt he would accept that role in Portland, but he might. But then does Portland need a sixth man making his salary? I doubt it. No need to discuss his lack of _efense.

Well, we can always start him if it makes you feel better about his salary. Either way, he will get about the same amount of minutes.