Article: Spurs' Simmons with Little Space for Error

[TheDoctor]

There is only so much patience you have with someone who can't put his together. One thing is Manu's errors of overconfidence, and then his frustration with himself because his idea didn't turn out in practice like he thought it would, and another is what we are seeing from Simms.

The TO are really getting to me and starting to piss me off. It's getting to the point where one more TO from him, repulses me like another TO from Ayers... He's seriously starting to throw a bad vibe. They are too frequent and surrounded by too much of a scrubby play.

Then write a venting letter to Pop, we can't do .

[ElNono]

There is only so much patience you have with someone who can't put his together. One thing is Manu's errors of overconfidence, and then his frustration with himself because his idea didn't turn out in practice like he thought it would, and another is what we are seeing from Simms.

The TO are really getting to me and starting to piss me off. It's getting to the point where one more TO from him, repulses me like another TO from Ayers... He's seriously starting to throw a bad vibe. They are too frequent and surrounded by too much of a scrubby play.

We survived Ayres for 2 years... give this guy a bit of rope, tbh... after all, he has basically 4 preseason games under his belt, and most everybody was satisfied (if not in love) with him in SL... he obviously didn't forget how to play, despite any glaring issues (like his dribble drives)

I think this season so far is more the ac ulated frustration with the team really being off due to the plethora of changes (LMA, West, Boban, McCallum, Simms, Kyle on a bigger role, etc), than one individual having issues. Doesn't help that some of them have look like straight up scrubs for long stretches. Patience will be the name of the game this season, we're basically reloading and rebuilding on the fly, and it's gonna be painful until it's allright.

[SAGirl]

Then write a venting letter to Pop, we can't do .

If only right? lol Got to laugth at myself. Wont see much of Simms even if he stays

[SAGirl]

We survived Ayres for 2 years... give this guy a bit of rope, tbh... after all, he has basically 4 preseason games under his belt, and most everybody was satisfied (if not in love) with him in SL... he obviously didn't forget how to play, despite any glaring issues (like his dribble drives)

I think this season so far is more the ac ulated frustration with the team really being off due to the plethora of changes (LMA, West, Boban, McCallum, Simms, Kyle on a bigger role, etc), than one individual having issues. Doesn't help that some of them have look like straight up scrubs for long stretches. Patience will be the name of the game this season, we're basically reloading and rebuilding on the fly, and it's gonna be painful until it's allright.

You are right. Its just that I used to like him a lot. Still have to take it easy lol going to be a long season.

[ceperez]

Simmons is essential to get the Spurs transition defense working.

Furthermore, according to Pop Simms has a great feel of the game.

[SAGirl]

Simmons is essential to get the Spurs transition defense working.

Furthermore, according to Pop Simms has a great feel of the game.

It won't be working if he's turning the ball over at a high rate. He needs to clean up his act. All of these games have shown that he's not ready for a playmaking role. Have to bring him along easy and play off of others, instead of giving him the ball. I suspect what we are seeing in these practice games is not going to be RS play.

[sasaint]

Simmons is essential to get the Spurs transition defense working.

Furthermore, according to Pop Simms has a great feel of the game.

He may have a great feel for the game, but Simmons is NOT essential to any phase of the Spurs' game.

[sasaint]

It won't be working if he's turning the ball over at a high rate. He needs to clean up his act. All of these games have shown that he's not ready for a playmaking role. Have to bring him along easy and play off of others, instead of giving him the ball. I suspect what we are seeing in these practice games is not going to be RS play.

Like you, I was rooting very hard for this guy to be our next great diamond-in-the-rough discovery, but he just makes me wince when he enters a game now. My guess is that he must be performing very differently in practice. Based solely on his performance in the pre-season games, it would be very hard to see why Pop didn't send him packing along with Jimmer et al. He has to be showing Pop something more - and not just because Pop has a better eye for players than we do.

[ceperez]

Like you, I was rooting very hard for this guy to be our next great diamond-in-the-rough discovery, but he just makes me wince when he enters a game now. My guess is that he must be performing very differently in practice. Based solely on his performance in the pre-season games, it would be very hard to see why Pop didn't send him packing along with Jimmer et al. He has to be showing Pop something more - and not just because Pop has a better eye for players than we do.

Pop gets to see the players in practice. As fans there is a lot that we don't see.

[SAGirl]

Like you, I was rooting very hard for this guy to be our next great diamond-in-the-rough discovery, but he just makes me wince when he enters a game now. My guess is that he must be performing very differently in practice. Based solely on his performance in the pre-season games, it would be very hard to see why Pop didn't send him packing along with Jimmer et al. He has to be showing Pop something more - and not just because Pop has a better eye for players than we do.

You are right. He has confidence issues. In the suns game they ignored him on the perimeter completely and packed the paint. He's actually turned down open 3s to try to drive and ended up with traveling calls or a TO. He wasn't this reluctant to shoot in dleague. I bet he makes 3s decently in an open gym. His issues are mental, I think that is part of why I am frustrated. I think he makes the team anyway, so Iam just going to chill, enjoy the season, and hope he toughens up and can help if he's called.

[sasaint]

You are right. He has confidence issues. In the suns game they ignored him on the perimeter completely and packed the paint. He's actually turned down open 3s to try to drive and ended up with traveling calls or a TO. He wasn't this reluctant to shoot in dleague. I bet he makes 3s decently in an open gym. His issues are mental, I think that is part of why I am frustrated. I think he makes the team anyway, so Iam just going to chill, enjoy the season, and hope he toughens up and can help if he's called.

As Spurs fans, I believe a large part of our frustration with a guy like Simmons is because we have seen so few seriously athletic players wear the Silver and Black that they are fan magnets when they come along. We look at the success we have with our typically high-IQ-but-middling-athletic-ability players and dream of the dynasty Pop might produce with real [I]athletes[I]. I also rooted for Jamychal Green.

[ceperez]

As Spurs fans, I believe a large part of our frustration with a guy like Simmons is because we have seen so few seriously athletic players wear the Silver and Black that they are fan magnets when they come along. We look at the success we have with our typically high-IQ-but-middling-athletic-ability players and dream of the dynasty Pop might produce with real [I]athletes[I]. I also rooted for Jamychal Green.

Well, Jamychal Green apparently scored 18 points against the Thunder in pre-season. :-(

[sasaint]

Well, Jamychal Green apparently scored 18 points against the Thunder in pre-season. :-(

I wish he was scoring them for us, but I wish the guy well.

[SpurPadre]

He wants confidence? All he needs to do is look at that giant piece of with red hair in the locker room and be told that it's been there for 9 seasons and counting along with two previous years with the Raptors. If that can stay in the league that long, Simmons, don't you think you can play garbage time every now and then for at least one season with this loaded team?

[Ice009]

We survived Ayres for 2 years... give this guy a bit of rope, tbh... after all, he has basically 4 preseason games under his belt, and most everybody was satisfied (if not in love) with him in SL... he obviously didn't forget how to play, despite any glaring issues (like his dribble drives)

I think this season so far is more the ac ulated frustration with the team really being off due to the plethora of changes (LMA, West, Boban, McCallum, Simms, Kyle on a bigger role, etc), than one individual having issues. Doesn't help that some of them have look like straight up scrubs for long stretches. Patience will be the name of the game this season, we're basically reloading and rebuilding on the fly, and it's gonna be painful until it's allright.

Yeah, I agree with this man. I want to give him more time. I don't think they should make any rash decisions and cut him right away. Both Manu and Pop have said some good things about him, so I assume he's showing them some positive things during some of their practices.

Since you bring up Ayres, I just want to add that he absolutely sucked ass even in Summer League last off-season. At least Jonathon was superior to him in Summer League play. I know Summer League doesn't count for much, but if Ayres was still on the team despite a poor Summer League, then I think Jonathon should get some more rope. I wanted the Spurs to cut Ayres after that dismal Summer League showing. Amazing how that guy was even in the NBA. Jonathon still has some decent potential and tools this team could use, so I hope he gets a bit more time to see if he can work it all out.

[Ice009]

I wish he was scoring them for us, but I wish the guy well.

I wanted the Spurs to cut Ayres during the off-season and not pick up Daye's option so that they could use that roster spot on players that could actually help us on the court. They could have used one of those slots for JaMychal.

[ceperez]

I wanted the Spurs to cut Ayres during the off-season and not pick up Daye's option so that they could use that roster spot on players that could actually help us on the court. They could have used one of those slots for JaMychal.

JaMychal looked like a steal. But Spurs couldn't sign him to a long term deal with all the upcoming changes.

If anything, the Spurs mistake may have been to actually call him up. That showed to the league their hand and he was quickly snapped up.

In contrast, Spurs were stealth with Simmons. He wasn't even on the Spurs Summer League roster when the signed him up!! He was on the Nets roster, which if you think about it, is double strange because Simmons had been playing for 2 years with the Toros.

Lesson learned here.

[sasaint]

JaMychal looked like a steal. But Spurs couldn't sign him to a long term deal with all the upcoming changes.

Very good point. I didn't see what the team's plan was, and I've really failed to recognize the connection since.

If anything, the Spurs mistake may have been to actually call him up. That showed to the league their hand and he was quickly snapped up.

I wonder if they could have figured out a way to keep him down on the farm or place him in Europe for another year. I sure wish we had him as part of the current roster.

In contrast, Spurs were stealth with Simmons. He wasn't even on the Spurs Summer League roster when the signed him up!! He was on the Nets roster, which if you think about it, is double strange because Simmons had been playing for 2 years with the Toros.

Did he have an actual training camp deal with the Nets? Doesn't seem so "stealthy" as "oops we almost let this guy get away." A near repe ion of their handling of Green.

[ceperez]

Did he have an actual training camp deal with the Nets? Doesn't seem so "stealthy" as "oops we almost let this guy get away." A near repe ion of their handling of Green.

He was on the Summer League team. The story was that he was on the Nets team bus when he got the call. He stopped the bus, got off and took a plane ride to play on the first game with the Spurs SL team.

If I recall the timing, the Spurs were still looking for a wing and a center. The center eventually ended up to be Marjanovic. I think timing had to be perfect, I can't recall though if it happened right after Aldridge signing or before.

[TheGreatYacht]

I hope this guy stays. Just needs to get accustomed to the NBA, and he'll have a role on a championship team