Reality check: Simmons may be in the dog house

[BillMc]

I heard he already told Tim "You can be my Rasho"....

[99 Problems]

Will depend on the role Pop hands out. We are seeing a wing type guy who can create something off his own dribble and handle the ball ok. These are things we are not entirely use to seeing. There has to be some give if he plays that roll. The trade off with any play maker is tolerance to a few turnovers. However it's not about playing within your limitations, it's about playing in Pops.

Anyhow Pop has mellowed hasn't he?

[ceperez]

This guy sounds like Malik Hairston being super athletic. I am wondering how he's different?

Can finish with either hand! Watch the clips, he is comfortable doing it while being contested.

That's a major difference!

So for the plays where Manu always goes left, Simmons can do the same.

Oh also forgot, Simmons also has a Euro step.

[GSH]

He is gonna take the Stephen Jackson route if his play translates over

I think people forget Pop talking about how for every game Jackson wins, he throws another away. (rough quote, from memory) I don't think he'll put up with that from Simmons. Especially not this season. This team has so much talent, and such a shot at a ring, I don't think he'll be up for a lot of stupid. Turnovers are probably tops on the list. Hopefully he'll understand that, and get a chance to bring his positive attributes to the team.

Edit: Heh... and TIMVP sees it exactly the opposite. He knows his stuff, so I try not to argue too much. I guess we'll see in a few months.

[-21-]

I can see Pop benching him after he makes one of those nasty dunks.

[Dex]

Disagree, tbh. Perhaps Pop of 10 years ago would freak out about every turnover a young player makes. But that's not how Pop coaches anymore

, Nando De Colo was far and away the most turnover-prone player in the NBA as a rookie and he still got almost a thousand regular season minutes. Present day Pop lives with turnovers as long as they are of the aggressive variety. It's part of way Cory Joseph was never that great of a fit: he was great about taking care of the ball but Pop doesn't really care about that. I think he's learned from Manu that to be a creative player you have to live with turnovers.

Now, obviously, the most likely scenario going into next season is Simmons not playing much. He has such little experience at a high level of basketball (this summer league is the highest level of basketball he's ever played -- he never made a training camp or even a summer league previously) that it's going to take a while to adjust. Whether he's capable of adjusting his game to NBA caliber athletes will determine how he proceeds -- not turnovers specifically, at least under this version of Pop.

Can he still be sent down to the DLeague since he played there the last two seasons?

[Dex]

Will depend on the role Pop hands out. We are seeing a wing type guy who can create something off his own dribble and handle the ball ok. These are things we are not entirely use to seeing. There has to be some give if he plays that roll. The trade off with any play maker is tolerance to a few turnovers. However it's not about playing within your limitations, it's about playing in Pops.

Anyhow Pop has mellowed hasn't he?

[T Park]

I think this is right. Pop will let him grow into more disciplined play. He looks great now but hasn't seemed to have superb coaching. I see Pop nurturing more than cracking down.

That's where Chad Forcier and England come in as well.