The issue for the Cavs is that offensively, he possesses only one viable skill, and it is one we already have. Taking the role of primary distributor away from Garland and giving it to Simmons is not an improvement. And his critical weakness is one that would be exacerbated by what we'd have to give up to acquire him. Different situation if pairing him with Sexton in the starting backcourt was on the table because that is at least a better fit in terms of style.
Good debate.
This seems like where I see things differently. While I agree that we don’t want to take the ball out of Garlands hands as the primary distributor, I think there is plenty of room for Simmons to be the 1B. If Garland is playing 34 mpg I would expect the rotation to be staggered so that Simmons is on the court for the other 14. Additionally, just like with Rubio, there are plenty of possessions available where Garland can “take a rest” on the court and let someone else bring it up and initiate. To me, having that secondary ball handler has jumped to the top priority on this team, so I place a TON of value on that skill set.
You surround him with Love, Osman, Mobley, and Markk for stretches while Garland and Allen rest and I think that lineup would be our own version of the mythical “death” lineup.
Also, I disagree that playmaking is the only viable skill that translates. His 2 offensive rebounds per game from the 1, 2, or 3 position would be a huge boost. His ability to drive and finish is also pretty critically underrated. Like Okoro on steroids levels.
Maybe my biggest disagreement point though is completely ignoring the defensive side of the ball. I believe adding Simmons to Allen and Mobley would give the Cavs the best defensive lineup in the league, even doubly so when you factor in his ability to rebound. As it stands now, we have zero answers for KD and Giannis, or any of the other elite level wings we will face. While you can’t stop those guys, I believe Simmons would give us a punchers chance. That skill set is the one that makes me most interested in adding him.
However, I am fully acknowledging that what I just typed is perfect world. There are many drawbacks and risks, which is why he’s not on the top of my own personal list. The questionable work ethic, the cost to acquire him, and the shooting issues, in that order, are glaring concerns.
But, as others have stated, the Cavs clearly can and likely have checked in on his mentality. They believed enough that he checks out to make an offer for him. Koby has far more info than any of us, so I choose to trust him.
The cost has certainly come down but we obviously can’t trade all of our assets for him. If it’s low enough and we can make it work? Full speed ahead. Otherwise, look elsewhere.
The shooting? Again, as others have stated, I believe the Cavs offense is more well suited to fit Simmons game due to our lack of iso play and constant motion. I get why people would see it differently. I envision when Simmons is off ball, he’s curling around screens and catching the ball in spots to drive and finish or kick it to the corner for a 3. On ball? No concerns for me. Free throw shooting? Yep he stinks. Teams can win with awful free throw shooters (Shaq, Big Ben, Dwight, Giannis, etc) but it makes it more challenging. The positive spin is that racking up fouls on the other team does help in the long run. The negative is that you have to play offense/defense in some critical situations.
Do the other positives outweigh the shooting negatives? In my mind they do, but again, only if the mentality and price are right. Big if’s, indeed.
