[OhCanada-Participant]

 His last 5 games he has 3 triple doubles. He would have had one tonight against Memphis but he only played 25 minutes in a blowout. He was only 2 rebounds away from having one in Brooklyn. Hes averaging 14-points, 12-assists and 10-rebounds in that time. He’s amazing and should be the leagues next great player along with his teammate Embiid.

I cant wait to watch how he responds to the playoff basketball style of play and atmosphere. In the playoffs every posssesion matters, the crowd is roaring, refs allow more physical play and half court execution is much more important. Sometimes great players that lack perimeter jumpshots can struggle come playoff time like Derozan, yet others like Rondo still seem to thrive. I personally think Simmons is cold and will thrive in  that enviroment hurting plenty of feelings.

 

 

[whiteflashParticipant]

 Rondo "thrived" because he was surrounded by three first ballot HOF’ers, and has looked like sh!t everywhere else. He might honestly be the most overrated dude of this generation.

Simmons could struggle if/when the game slows down and teams have time to key on his tendencies. 

 

[220Participant]

 Rondo looked pretty good with the Bulls in the first round of the playoffs last year. He played so well that a lot of analysts believed if didn’t get hurt the Bulls may have upset the Celtics.

[treytalkssports.comParticipant]

You don’t really understand Rondo’s career if you think that. 

There where games in which James, Wade, Bosh, Allen, Pierce, and Garnett were all on the court, and Rondo was the best player. 

Injuries derailed his career, but he is still one of the smartest players in the NBA. Rondo + Davis + Cousins in the playoffs could beat anyone, including the Warriors. 

 

[whiteflashParticipant]

 You are out of your mind if you honestly believe that. 

[treytalkssports.comParticipant]

In the 2012 playoffs against the Heat, Rondo averaged 21 ppg, 11 apg, 7 rpg, and 2 spg. 

Game 2 in Miami went into OT. Rondo had 44, 10, 8 and 3 to go along with a bunch of timely plays against the Heat. 

http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/201205300MIA.html

Game 4 in a win he went for 15, 15, 5 and 3. 

http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/201206030BOS.html

Game 7 (which they lost) he went for 22, 14, and 10. 

http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/201206090MIA.html

Look at the stats. Wade was good, but not great in that series. Pierce, Allen, and Garnett were moving slowly. James scored, but in each of the games above, struggled to create offense for his teammates. 

I watched that series. I never liked Rondo (even though I’m a Celtic fan). James was the best player on the court in the other games, but in these games, Rondo was the best. 

[Sewok15Participant]

 Early in his career Rondo looked like a hall of fame caliber player. I’m not sure how much of a role injuries played but he hasn’t been the same for a while. I thought he would learn to shoot and be one of the best PGs for years to come…he did not. 

[whiteflashParticipant]

 You consider 10pts, 8asts, 1.5stls and less than 62% from ft a Hall of Fame career?

[Sewok15Participant]

 From 2009-2013 there were times it was obvious Rondo was the best player on a team that at times had 3 hall of fame players. After his injury he was never the same beacuse he never learned to shoot and was kind of a headcase. I am not a fan of his at all…but in his prime he was a force. 

He had 44 point playoff games…triple doudles with 20 assists in the playoffs….the guy was all over the court albeit for a somewhat sort time. Your profile says you were watching 10 years ago but your memory seems off. 

 

[whiteflashParticipant]

 I’m not disputing that he’s had good individual games, or even a series, but claiming he was the best player on the floor during ANY of those games is insane.  He’s an incredibly limited player with a bad attitude and an unwillingness to learn or change, he’s ran off teammates and quit on teams. You could’ve put literally any other PG in the league on those stacked Celtics teams and they would’ve made the Finals. As soon as his 3 HOF teammates bounced, he couldn’t elevate any other teams and has been passed around like a peace pipe. Again, he’s probably the most overrated dude of his generation. 

[treytalkssports.comParticipant]

 Disagree. 

If you can, watch the games. The bad f-you attitude was the very thing that allowed him to be the best player on the court with a bunch of hall-of-famers. He was a limited player, but what he did, he did with the best of all time (running an offense and wreaking havoc on defense). 

Maybe you could put other point guards on those celtic teams that would have succeeded — I don’t know. Hypotheticals are not helpful here. What I do know is that he was the reason the Celtics were in that series, and he was the reason they went to 7 games, and he was the best player on the court in multiple games. 

Why he couldn’t elevate the teammates after the big 3 left shows his limitations, but even that is partially due to injuries and poor fit in CBS offense. 

I actually agree that, overall, he was overrated (not the most overrated, but one of them). I’m just saying that he lived up to the hype in multiple big playoff games, games in which he was the best player on the court. 

 

[whiteflashParticipant]

 Believe what you like, but he was NEVER the best player on the floor in any game ever, and he most certainly isn’t among "the best of all time" at running an offense or wreaking havoc on D. There are several guy’s in every generation who do exactly what he’s done, they just don’t have 3 HOF’ers with ’em so they fly under the radar.

[ChoppyParticipant]

 I agree, OhCanada, he is amazing. Yet to me, what is more amazing is the legion of "fans" that think anyone but Simmons should be ROY. 

Yes whiteflash, Simmons could struggle. It’s even likely he might. But adversity is often the best teacher. Struggle or not, he will learn a lot from a postseason run. 

 

[SlickBouncePassParticipant]

I dunno about y’all but I can just tell if a player is special the first itme you see them play.  Its obvious with guys like Lebron, but it also stands out with Dwayne Wade…the first time I saw him play he was special.

Ben Simmons possesses things you can’t teach.  His streamline speed stands out particularly.  The guy end to end is standout fast.  He also has his best trait which is his passing, which right now he needs other teammates to move better around him.  In a greater motion based half court offense you’d see even more spectacular passes.  The kid is also really tough.  He enjoys taking contact, has to do with australian football backgrund and australian toughness.  Also, he’s smart, a student of the game.  His turnovers since hte new year have been annoying, but early in the  year he almost barely turned it over and obviously had 15 assists the other day with a triple double wiht 0 turnovers.  His strength allows him to finish around the rim, and he’s very good around the rim.  

That hook shot is kinda nice I wish he’d work on it more.  I think once he gets his pacing down, he’ll be less reliant on streamline speed, things will slow down even more for him which is scary, he will grow into his body even more which is scary, and will be able to absolutely bulldoze smaller guards on his way to the rim.

The hook shot, size, and speed is when I said "wow, this guy is a hall of famer".  But his BEST attribute, aside from improving defense on a game to game basis, is kind of unsung.  He’s made big defensive plays late in the 4th quarter.  He’s gotten steals and strips late in games, which sets him apart.

Simmons and Embiid both, raise their game in big situations.  They can take it to the next level when it matters most and separate themselves.  There are other stars and good players in this league, the best raise their game and go into superhero mode.  The late game big time plays, make this guy not only a hall of famer but one of the best in the next generation.  Too many intangibles, Ben Simmons once he grows into his body, and gets that midrange jumper around 50%, its scary.  

 

 

 

  

[BeastMode716Participant]

 And Fultz is a freak too – it’s ridiculous that there are 3 talents that unique on one team & they are 24, 21 & 19

If Lebron goes to Phila it’s gonna be a hurt piece for a Very long time

I think it’s time Sam Hinkie gets some credit b/c None of those players would be on that team w/o the heavy lifting & incredible trades that Hinkie made for a team that had been Decimated by the Andrew Bynum deal 

I’m a Lakers fan & I remember just laughing that Phila gave up 2 starters & 3 – 1st rnd picks in the Andrew Bynum & Arnotte Moultry deals (Moultry was a 2012 late 1st Rnd pick phila traded for to play minutes at Center for a few months until Bynum was ready to get back on the court) 

When it became clear Bynum would Never play, I honestly believed it would be a Decade before Phila had Any hope of even reaching .500 – but I knew Hinkie was good b/c he was the master mind of the James HArden to Houston deal – the man landed Harden in exchange for Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb, Steve Adams & Mitch McGary! 

Hinkie is barely over 40, he’s literally a Legend in the Analytics movement & he’s a Rock Star to the Phila Nation Mob & H-Town, 2 of the biggest cities & largest most loyal fan bases in the country – this man is building a Crazy legacy at a Very young age – pretty remarkable stuff for a very ordinary looking guy w/ an extraordinary mind

 

 

 

 

 

 

[holefillers1Participant]

The shame of it is he may remain a cult classic since the league has essentially black balled him. He fielded teams that were borderline G-League but at least he didnt intentionally rest starters…like the Bulls are doing right now. Seems way more shameful to me.

Hinkie started the tank half way through his first year by trading away all the talent they had. It ran from Noels’s first year, when he was hurt, through Embiids second year. That’s 2 1/2 years. And that is only because Embiid missed that 2nd season.

Like Beastmode said. This was a team that had no cap space and no talent. The plan was a two part rebuild. Shed cap by trading remaining players for picks and try to land in a spot to acquire talent at the top of the draft.

What I find hilarious is the league stepped in a forced Josh Harris to hire Jerry Colangelo who forced out Hinkie and brought his son in who then tanked half of last season after embiid got hurt.

So for people like Brian Windhorst saying we are six years into this rebuild…go F yourself. Your Cavs got all those first overall picks after LeBron left and you sucked over and over and over again until LeBron came back. I cant wait to start the egg timer when LeBron leaves this time.

[EndlessknightParticipant]

Could’ve hard another triple double tonight but only played 27 minutes due to the game being a blow out. How in the world does anyone think Mitchell is better?

[Sewok15Participant]

 He scores more PPG and had some cooler dunks perhaps…so he is likely only a frontrunner for ROY from the uninformed. 

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