What has taken Portland out of the playoffs for 4 straight seasons is opposing defenses coming in completely focused on Dame and Portland having nobody else to consistently run the offense and get enough good shots for everybody else that it punishes that dame-centric defense and forces adjustments. CJ hasn't been able to do it; Turner wasn't able; Napier and Curry couldn't. But now Simons and Hezonja will?
I'm hesitant to crown either of them as a play-making solution outside of Dame either but those other players had specific reasons that kept them from doing so which Simons/Mario might not be encumbered with.
CJ - I actually think he could be a playmaker....on his own team. But with Dame, he seems to be stuck/buried in ISO/hero mode most of the time.
Turner - Tough to be much of a playmaker when you are just as likely to drop an ill-timed Turnerover and teams play off you so far because you can't shoot that it messes with other passing lanes.
Napier - Not sure her really ever had it in him to be much of a playmaker. Always seemed like more of a shoot-first guy.
Curry - Never been a PG before so not sure why he would be one here. He's a legit scorer and dead eye shooter but not a playmaker. It's like when Sarge tried to have Crawful be a PG for Portland...was never going to work.
Simons to me is most like Napier (of those four) with WAY more athletic ability and more natural instincts to be a passes. The almost no-look, left-handed bounce pass from 25' to a cutting Meyers Leonard against the Kings is a pass not a lot of players in the NBA make ever.
Hezonja is most like Turner with the size and handle but much more explosive to the basket, and a much better shooter, even though he isn't that good.
Who knows if either of them work out but I like what I see from them and the potential for it working than anyone outside of CJ...who just seems to not want to do it.
