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Ben Simmons is counting the days, each too long, until he can flee Philadelphia. The whole NBA counts with him, and several teams do more than that.
They visualize Simmons on their roster and the Warriors are on the teams.
As they should be, especially if they’re willing to speed up the schedule and maximize the potential of the remaining Stephen Curry years.
The topic of Simmons joining the Warriors has heated up this month. It’s debated on hundreds of podcasts, thousands of playgrounds and gyms, and probably every sports bar within a 100 mile radius of Philadelphia or the Bay Bridge.
At or near the center of the debate, it comes down to whether the Warriors can thrive on offense with the inevitable spacing issues created when two reluctant shooters, Draymond Green and Simmons, share the field.
The short answer: Yes.
The long answer: Yes, yes, yes.
It’s a logical concern if you’re replaying last season’s worst moments for both All-Stars. Often trying to force passes through defenses when playing him to do just that, Draymond committed six turnovers in each of the two games of play, which the Warriors lost by eight points combined. Simmons, scared of the possibility of a free throw shot, dodged a tying dunk in the dying minutes of Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. When the 76ers lost, the line of volunteers eager to take him to the airport extended to Delaware.
But the concern for spacing is short-sighted, in large part because it greatly underestimates the basketball intellect of MM. Green and Simmons. Neither is a great shooter. Both are excellent basketball players.
They know who they are – timid shooters, formidable passers and wonderful defenders, with a devastating transitional capacity – and they have the intelligence to understand it.
And, honestly, would the spacing issue with Green and Simmons be much different than where Kevon Looney and Green are sharing the floor? You might remember that Golden State’s most effective lineups last season included… Green and Looney.
Simmons is a three-time All-Star and two-time All-Defensive first team who, like Draymond, can defend any position. Ben is taller and infinitely more athletic than Loon.
The Warriors, according to ESPN’s Zach Lowe and Stephen A. Smith, are “divided” in their assessment of Simmons’ place on their roster.
We know there are differences of opinion regarding Simmons, which is understood. Can you trust him in endgame situations? Can his phobia of free throws be overcome? Is he a good teammate? All more valid questions than whether Draymond and Ben can play together.
Still, the Warriors still have a long way to go. The D’Angelo Russell-Andrew Wiggins debate 18 months ago gained unanimity fairly quickly, I’m told, but a deal in which Wiggins and Simmons are the centerpieces would require further analysis.
The 76ers, ahead of the NBA Draft on July 29, offered Simmons to the Warriors. And their asking price was as absurd as reported: James Wiseman, Wiggins, the two 2021 lottery picks and two future firsts heading east for Simmons. It was the idea of a joke from Team Philly president Daryl Morey and the Warriors recognized it like that.
Looking for six trumps for Simmons was a steal of fancy, and Morey knew he didn’t stand a chance.
But the line has been cast and the bait remains on the hook.
The Warriors have since drafted teenage wings Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody. They love Kuminga. They really like Moody. They love Wiseman. They really like Wiggins. There are of course additional considerations, and maybe a third team. A Simmons proposal deserves careful consideration.
11 days ago Warriors CEO Joe Lacob said he didn’t believe a major trade was in the cards, mainly because the only target to explore was “not available.” He didn’t elaborate, but the presumption is that he was referring to Bradley Beal.
RELATED: Where The Warriors Are In The West After Free Agency
Simmons, whose salary roughly matches Wiggins’s, is definitely available. He committed an unforgivable sin in America’s most ruthless sports city. His next franchise will have to do a deep psychological rehab, but Simmons is a special player.
Morey tries to be this patient, but the league knows any thought of Simmons returning to Philly is absurd. Training camps open in 48 days. Every interested team is, like Simmons, a countdown. They’re making a wise bet that Morey will become more, uh, reasonable.
Include the Warriors among these teams. As long as they like what they have, there is no rush on their part. But they know enough to realize that Simmons, the gamer, fits the desired profile of a franchise that always reaches the sky.
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