Can Rockets make playoffs with Simmons and Wall next 3 seasons?

This, if you get Simmons the next thing you have to do is move Wall (and Cousins unless he is much better then expected and doesn't ruin Wood's development) to the Knicks, Magic, Pacers etc...Wall and Cousins were never those guys even in their prime, there's no reason to expect them to be better now that they're 30 and coming back after multiple and bad injuries after two years they haven't played. Also, Simmons needs the ball in his hands, unless Wall turns into Bradley Beal, his max contract has no reason to be here in the first place.

 

Is merely making the playoffs the goal now?

 

I like this but Magic will want the 2021 pick over the 2025 unless the thought is 2025 will be a higher round pick.

 

He never made the playoffs or had a winning record before they got Beal, and even with Beal they only made the playoffs like 4/8 seasons they were together. And we'd be hard pressed to make the playoffs in the west with some of those Wizard records.

 

Correct, see this article about this very topic and Simmon's ability to lead a team. Points, rebounds and assists all went up, FG% of 65.3%. Who cares if he can't shoot threes with that kind of efficiency? These is even on 6 FTA's a game as compared to 9 FTA's per game with Embiid playing during a 5 game stretch. Notice the bold part at the end that says Simmons and Embiid play in similar areas of the court.

As mentioned, Simmons and the 76ers were holding their own without Embiid in the lineup. While the team winning games without Embiid isn't necessarily common for Philly, Simmons taking his game to another level without his counterpart is.

The star point guard playing worse with his All-Star centre in the lineup - it shouldn't make as much sense as it does to the NBA world at this point.

The 76ers haven't been able to get re-adjusted just yet, and while Simmons hasn't exactly played bad since Embiid's return, his production has taken a hit. Take a look:

Simmons most recent stretch with and without Embiid
76ers Record FGA FG% FTA RPG APG PPG
Without Embiid 6-3 13.8 65.3 5.9 9.3 7.9 21.6
With Embiid 1-4 10.6 60.4 9.0 8.2 6.2 19.6

While he's getting to the line more frequently, showing he's still attacking the hoop, his field goal attempts per game are down. Though that is expected with an offensive presence like Embiid back in the lineup, it's even below Simmons' season average of 11.3 attempts per game. His assists, rebounds and scoring are all down, too, and he's been slightly less efficient from the field.

During the nine games without Embiid, Simmons was crashing the glass to get out in transition and get downhill - utilizing the scariest weapon in his offensive arsenal. He was getting to the rim, scoring in the paint and making defenses pay for collapsing on him, dishing out a solid 7.9 assists per game despite looking for his own shot a bit more than usual. Now with Embiid back, he's forced to operate a little differently with the two typically working in the same areas of the court.

 

they didn't get Beal as a ready made star........Wall had only been in the league 2 years before the Wizards drafted Beal. Made the Playoffs 4 years in a row before Wall got injured

 

If we don’t have our own picks and we tank, aside from maybe Tilman selling the team, what’s the point? We won’t get the top picks, we won’t get the players we need. There isn’t a point in tanking right now. Talk to me next year.

 

Why are the Blazers worse? They got Covington.

 

I would flip him to the Hornets or Thunder for boatloads of draft picks so that we can out right tank and not owe OKC our picks from Westbrook trade.

 

Simmons will never be the player harden is but Harden will be a top 5 or 6 offensive player of all time so no shame in that

 

Tilman controls the direction of the team and who stays. Why would he be okay with tanking if it would make him sell the team?

He would fire FO and coaches, and force trades that would ensure the team is mediocre. Plus owning a sports team is like the biggest ego trip for a billionaire. He is in for the glory, with the bonus of potential return when he would sell the team. He won't sell the team until it is a last resort, and that would be a total long-drawn out mess given what happened in other instances of team owners basically going bankrupt.

 

That comment was more from a perspective of what I want to happen not what I think the team will do. Sadly you're right, and it seems like we'll be stuck in mediocrity for the foreseeable future. That's why I don't really care what we get in a Harden trade. No matter who comes in, they'll be gone as soon as they can leave. It's tough to be a Rockets fan right now.

 

I am very tired of Harden at this point and will take any deal advantageous to us. I like the Nets deal if it’s still there but with couple more pieces. I don’t like Simmons for the mere fact he can’t play offense but sure let’s take him and see what he can do. I’m just excited to move forward and see woods develop along with the resurgence of wall and boogie. Let’s move on from James. The marriage has ended. It’s over. No need to reminisce or discuss. Let’s start a new era.

 

I honestly have no idea how anyone could like the Nets deal

 

I did say with a couple more pieces. I like dinwiddie and LaVert. At least it gives us solid players to build from. You can either go with super team model or what toronto did couple years ago. The deal intrigued me and with couple modifications such as draft picks and other players like Allen would be enticing.

 

We are giving a top 5-6 player with 2 years on his deal and still in his prime for peanuts.
I preffer Ben simmons to that.
He is 24, athletic, can do everything, except shoot, and he is tied to a longer contract. He is not even on his prime and he is already an all nba player with some playoff experience.
If we want to be relevant going forward, we need a young star, not a couple of nice pieces that would keep us in mediocrity.
If not, lets just tank and find a 3 way deal, where we flip harden to the nets, simmons somewhere else and we get a lot of nice 1 round picks and umproven talent.

 

Reason why Sixers have not been as successful as they can be is because of Simmons’ uniqueness. He is a great defender and facilitator but not a great scorer that can get a shot at his choosing or break down players off the dribble consistently. And his sizable contract complicates any trades. Is he truly a cornerstone piece? He isn’t a number 1 option and not quite a number 2 option. I find him a very difficult player to trade for because of his uniqueness. And for those who claim he can learn to better offensively, it isn’t that simple. It has never been part of his game and at this point he isn’t going to develop into an offensive juggernaut anytime soon. He might be able to improve his post game or three point shooting but again he isn’t an offensive option especially when the game is on the line and I take dinwiddie any day to take that shot before him.

 

NOT SUCCESSFUL?

THEY WERE A BOUNCE AWAY FROM THE ECF FINALS

The team they lost to won the NBA Finals that year.

He played with another non shooter in Jimmy Butler. This whole needing a jump shot thing is so silly. Draymond Green with an offensive game is Ben Simmons right now. His ceiling is best player in the NBA. His floor is ALL NBA / All Defense for the next 5 years.

This narrative sucks and is so media driven. He's Giannis without the respect.

I take Ben Simmons over any player in the NBA in a trade for Harden based on age, ceiling and contract. He's under team control for five years.

I want to keep Harden but can everyone stop pretending like Ben Simmons isn't clearly the best player we could get for Harden.

The 76ers are finally built right and he's going to be everyone's favorite player within a year. He was next to three other big men. His value is being a four who can run the offense. Elton Brand has zero clue how to build a team.

 

And no he cannot do everything. He doesn’t have an offensive game. It’s not about just shooting. He doesn’t have a fadeaway, a step back, pull up, turn around jump shot he doesn’t have fundamental offensive skills. He scores off the dribble as he brings the ball up half court if there’s an open lane or when a defender slides the wrong way. He cuts a lot. He scores off low post and off elbow posts. Seriously have you seen him play offense? It’s not pretty.

 

No he is not Giannis. Please review the game tape. The man can’t even average 20 pts a game. And if you read what I said instead of being emotional I said “ as successful as they can be.” Again please watch him and be educated before giving your opinion.