Simmons... is he really a keeper?

[UNT Eagles 2016]

The guy has hops but zero IQ and is probably the worst defender we've had at that position since Finley. And tends to curl up into the fetal position when we throw him out there and need him to play well. POS

[Mel_13]

Full meltdown in progress.

[Russ]

He's a keeper.

[raybies]

Yes :rolleyes

[HarlemHeat37]

Simmons has decent potential and he's a fun player to watch, but there will be unfair expectations for him because the fans overhyped him and the media has now caught on to his great rags to riches story..

[cjw]

I stopped at worst defender at that position since Michael Finley, because you obviously haven't watched the Spurs the past two seasons. Forget Marco and Gary Neal?

[Cklbmk]

Ya seriously Marco had no D.

Simmons is definitely a keeper. He's fearless and insanely athletic. He should take after Anderson and play more calm then use his insane speed to just catch up when its needed

[Timothy21]

worst defender?

[steeledl]

He has the most potential of the "is he a keeper" bunch. He has had a few tough games but This is to be expected at this point. The tools are there.... And he shows flashes and even plays really well in stretches

[SouthernFried]

Why did I open this stupid thread...sigh

[Chinook]

worst defender?

Probably the worst perimeter defender on the team due to his lack of fundamentals. You hope his size and athleticism will help him get better with time, but right now he's like the absolutely last person to check a PG outside of bigs.

Really, I just think it's the counter hype from reputation he's getting from the media. He's like Bizarro Green.

[UNT Eagles 2016]

I stopped at worst defender at that position since Michael Finley, because you obviously haven't watched the Spurs the past two seasons. Forget Marco and Gary Neal?

Neal was a PG, Cancernelli was a SG and eurotrash. Eh

[cjw]

Neal was a PG, Cancernelli was a SG and eurotrash. Eh

Neal was a shooting guard trapped in a PG body. He got torched no matter which of the two positions he guarded.

Simmons and Beli play the same position.

[UNT Eagles 2016]

Neal was a shooting guard trapped in a PG body. He got torched no matter which of the two positions he guarded.

Yep. Regardless of how many shoes his man was wearing. Probably couldn't guard a squirrel.

[steeledl]

Simmons is going to be a fine defender when it is all said and done. I hope it happens sooner rather than later. Not even really stressing that. He needs to improve his outside shot with chip, tighten his handles, and just start making better decisions with the ball.

[cjw]

Yep. Regardless of how many shoes his man was wearing. Probably couldn't guard a squirrel.

Please, don't remind me. That was the biggest travesty in that game.

Both good situational guys in spurts (and that Neal shot against Mem was cold blooded even though they lost the next game). Simmons offers a very different skill set and an important one with diminished Manu minutes. If he ever learns to navigate through screens, watch out.

[baseline bum]

The guy has hops but zero IQ and is probably the worst defender we've had at that position since Finley. And tends to curl up into the fetal position when we throw him out there and need him to play well. POS

He's a rookie. Almost all rookies are net negatives on the floor. He is worth developing though, he has the physical tools to be a reasonable defender.

[exstatic]

troll effort: 0.5/10

[Agloco]

The guy has hops but zero IQ and is probably the worst defender we've had at that position since Finley. And tends to curl up into the fetal position when we throw him out there and need him to play well. POS

168 putting in work.

[808]

But Reggie said he a lockdown defender :(

[jeebus]

Neal was a PG

http://i.imgur.com/ik31Kd3.gif

[Ditty]

Until he leaves a guy without a shoe open for a 3 pointer in game six of the NBA finals his defense is fine to me. Think he is trying too hard tbh, and overplaying things. He will be fine with experience.

[SpurPadre]

http://i.imgur.com/ik31Kd3.gif

WTF?

[Old School 44]

Simmons is a keeper. Definitely worth developing. On offense, sometimes he tries too hard, wanting to do the spectacular on his drives, when the simple play will do. In some of the last few games, he's tried to gather himself for the big elevation on drives and fumbled the ball. It's great when he's able to finish above the rim, but it's not always necessary.

[sasaint]

Simmons is a keeper. Definitely worth developing. On offense, sometimes he tries too hard, wanting to do the spectacular on his drives, when the simple play will do. In some of the last few games, he's tried to gather himself for the big elevation on drives and fumbled the ball. It's great when he's able to finish above the rim, but it's not always necessary.

One play against Miami stood out in my mind: Simmons drove down the left side of the lane, pulled up midway, pump faked Gerald Green into the air and then nailed the short J. He is learning and expanding his repertoire.

[HarlemHeat37]

Simmons is a nice energy player right now..he has some potential to develop into a good rotation player, especially learning from the Spurs, but he's currently just an energy player that gives the Spurs a boost in activity, dunks, attacking the lane, etc..the longer he stays on the court, the worse he plays, which is typical of an inexperienced player playing for a championship contender..

When people want/expect him to get 20+ minutes and/or a starting role(like they do here) vs. legit competition and opposition that knows his name and game, they become disappointed due to the unrealistic expectations they created..

[baseline bum]

WTF?

http://i45.tinypic.com/2po6snr.gif

[baseline bum]

http://i.imgur.com/ik31Kd3.gif

http://i.imgur.com/3XfHH.jpg

[UNT Eagles 2016]

Simmons is a keeper. Definitely worth developing. On offense, sometimes he tries too hard, wanting to do the spectacular on his drives, when the simple play will do. In some of the last few games, he's tried to gather himself for the big elevation on drives and fumbled the ball. It's great when he's able to finish above the rim, but it's not always necessary.
He fumbles a lot on his drives, tbh...

[SpurPadre]

http://i45.tinypic.com/2po6snr.gif

Really weird brand of humor.

[024]

Trade bait. I wonder if it was Buford who fed that story to ESPN.

[lilbthebasedgod]

Yeah, he can be good. Was completely overrated before and is sorta being exposed lately.

[SpurPadre]

He's good to have around but I'm not so sure Pop is comfortable having a raw athlete on a team with championship aspirations...at least for significant minutes in the playoffs.

[baseline bum]

Really weird brand of humor.

http://i.imgur.com/OA36Yan.jpg

[jeebus]

http://i.imgur.com/OA36Yan.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/rd5jhzV.gif

[100%duncan]

lol

[ElNono]

http://i.imgur.com/rd5jhzV.gif

:lmao

[wildcardX]

They have to keep him. He's suppose to replace Green in the starting lineup.

[baseline bum]

http://i.imgur.com/rd5jhzV.gif

:lol

[bic50]

Yeah, he can be good. Was completely overrated before and is sorta being exposed lately.

How was he overrated?

[Mnky]

He fumbles a lot on his drives, tbh...

Kawhi was similar his rookie year. Was a complete mess moving with the ball if there was a decent defender infront of him.

Pop puts simmons on the teams best ball handlers. He has suited against curry, Kyrie, and oladipo the last few games. He wouldn't do that if Simmons couldn't play d or had the potential to become better there.

[Big Empty]

The kid has potential. Hes getting some experience in this year. If Chip helps him develop a more consistent shot this guy is going to be the real deal

[Cowboys_Wear_Spurs]

900k team option salary next year, yes, Simmons is a keeper.

Why are people constantly blasting rookies in the Spurs system who show potential, just because they have a bad game. TP, Manu, etc have had bad games all the time in their careers. TD for the most part has had next to none. Probably count the # of times on one hand, but he is the exception.

That is why learning curves exist. You expect guys to make mistakes early on. You expect them to be inconsistent. You expect them to have frequent bad games. But as they progress along the curve, you expect to see less mistakes, better and more consistent performances.

I can honestly say that KA, Simmons, and Boban have all improved since the preseason. Not too much sample size of Ray. That is all you can expect at this point and seeing continue improvement(s).

[SAGirl]

You have a valid point in how much he and others have improved as the season has gone along. Besides being a rookie, guys don't usually flourish until their second season. We shall have a better grasp on him overall next season, and his contract is so cheap that i am not aute what guys expect tBh. Next season will be different bc he'll be renegotiating a deal and we have to see him in his second aeason, but this season, everything he's doing right now is bonus.