Tag: Bill Simmons

Nets’ Cam Thomas gets Bill Simmons’ vote, but not for Most Improved

In an episode of “The Bill Simmons Podcast,” host Bill Simmons nominated Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas for an award, but it wasn’t the MIP.

The 2023-24 NBA regular season is coming to a close and among other things, that means that it’s time for voters to make their picks for the end-of-season accolades. Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas is considered to be one of the players in contention for the Most Improved Player of the Year award, but one media member thinks Thomas deserves a different kind of award as well.

In a episode of “The Bill Simmons Podcast” released on Monday, Bill Simmons and Ryen Russillo discussed their annual “Made-Up” awards show. One of the awards that they discussed was the “Freeman Williams” award for the biggest “black hole” in the NBA this season.

As Simmons says, the award is named after Williams because “on the 1980-81 (San Diego) Clippers, he played 24.1 minutes a game, averaged 19.3 points a game and took 16.8 field-goals. 16.8 field goals in 24.1 minutes. If you do the per 36 (minutes), it projects to like 25 shots a game and he was like the seven man.”

Based on this commentary, it sounds like Simmons defines a “black hole” as a player who rarely passes the ball. So, Simmons is nominating Thomas for this award and even described it as “this is Cam Thomas’ award to lose” to indicate that Thomas is the frontrunner in his mind.

For the purpose of this discussion, it should be noted that it is hard for find catch-all numbers that would indicate how likely a player is to shoot or pass the ball in a given scenario. Basketball is very much a game of instinct and that’s not taking into account that every player has a role that influences what he is likely to do on any possession.

Per Basketball Reference, Thomas is attempting 28.7 field-goals per 100 team possessions which ties him with Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox for the fourth-most field-goal attempts in the NBA. Essentially, if Thomas played 100 offensive possessions for the Nets, he would shoot between 28 times and 29 times on average.

Of the 28 players that are averaging at least 24.5 field-goal attempts per 100 possessions, Thomas ranks 25th in assists per game (4.7), but is also just 21st in turnovers per game (3.0) while ranking 13th in points per game (35.5). It should also be noted that Thomas is estimated to have played just 8% of his time at point guard so, as primarily an off-ball guard, when the ball is in his hands, it’s usually to shoot the basketball.

No matter where you stand on the issue of whether Thomas is a “black hole” or not, everyone has to admit that he is one of the better scorers in the NBA. And, at just 22 years old, his scoring has made a difference for a Nets team that is still finding its way following the trades of James Harden, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Durant.

[lawrence-related id=58319,58316,58309]

Bill Simmons sees elements of young Kobe Bryant in Jalen Green

Bill Simmons on Jalen Green: “If you were just drawing a two-guard from scratch, from a scoring standpoint, what kinda move or shot doesn’t he have?”

Bill Simmons, founder of The Ringer and longtime NBA media personality, hasn’t always been the biggest fan of Jalen Green during his first three professional seasons with the Houston Rockets.

But it appears the recent surge by Green and the Rockets (36-35), who own an NBA-best active winning streak of nine games and an 11-1 record in March, could be changing Simmons’ perspective.

From the latest episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast:

I’m gonna say this very carefully, and I know what’s at stake, and I know he’s not gonna be this person … but when I watch him, he reminds me — this version of the attacking the rim and then the jump shooting — reminds me a little of young Kobe (Bryant).

Not like three-rings-in-a-row Kobe, but that late ’90s Kobe, where it was like, ‘Man, there’s a lot here. What’s goin’ on here?’ And watching him the last couple weeks, it’s like, man, if you were just drawing a two-guard from scratch, from a scoring standpoint, what kinda move or shot doesn’t he have?

The complete episode can be listened to here, while the segment comparing Green to Bryant is embedded below (via ClutchFans).

Green and the resurgent Rockets look to continue their push for a Western Conference play-in tournament slot when they visit Oklahoma City (49-21) on Wednesday. Tipoff is at 7 p.m. Central. Considering the elite opponent, Houston likely needs another strong game from Green to have a chance at a 10th straight win.

[lawrence-related id=111705,100841]

Bill Simmons: Lakers trading for Zach LaVine would be a major mistake

Fans are divided on whether the Lakers should trade for Zach LaVine, and NBA writer Bill Simmons feels the Lakers should say no to LaVine.

Longtime NBA writer and greater Boston native Bill Simmons isn’t exactly a popular figure among fans of the Los Angeles Lakers. Simmons is generally regarded as a Boston Celtics homer, and he hasn’t really hidden his dislike of the Purple and Gold over the years.

He may always hope the Lakers fail one way or another. However, he gave a recent take on an incessant Lakers trade rumor that is probably accurate.

The team has been linked to Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine lately. LaVine, a high-flying 6-foot-6 wing, has been cited as someone who would give L.A. a legitimate third scoring threat and help the team remain afloat when James is resting.

However, his fit would be questionable, and it is unknown whether he can be called upon in the postseason. He has appeared in just four playoff games since coming into the NBA nine years ago.

It is something Simmons pointed out on a recent episode of his podcast (h/t Sports Illustrated).

Via The Bill Simmons Podcast:

“You know they’re going to make a big trade,” Simmons said of the Lakers. “They have a lot of pieces. … They have a couple rookies that I think people like, they still have a pick, they have some contracts that they can put together. (If) it’s a Zach LaVine type of trade, I think that would be a major mistake. Just to go get somebody else who we have no idea if the guy can come through in a playoff series (is the wrong call).”

LaVine’s numbers are down this season, particularly when it comes to his shooting efficiency. He is regarded as a defensive sieve, and he isn’t really a ball-handing, facilitating guard who will set the table for his teammates despite averaging 3.9 assists a game for his career.

If the Lakers are to trade for LaVine, they will likely have to give up Rui Hachimura and either D’Angelo Russell or Austin Reaves. Russell is producing 6.4 assists against just 1.9 turnovers a game this season, and they would greatly miss his steady hand.

Bill Simmons believes the OKC Thunder could be a top-4 seed

Bill Simmons believes the Thunder could be a top-4 seed this season.

Entering the season, it feels like the Oklahoma City Thunder have become one of the national media’s darlings.

Building one of the best young cores over the last few drafts and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s graduation to superstardom have made the Thunder a popular pick as a breakout candidate this season.

According to Bill Simmons, he believes the Thunder could be a top-four seed, which would be a major jump from last season’s No. 10 finish with a 40-42 record.

Simmons spoke about his thoughts on the Thunder in his latest podcast episode.

“I have them fourth in the West right now. …

They were 40-42 last year. So last year, no Chet at all. SGA missed 14 games and Jalen Williams came on second half of the year. And once that started happening, he just immediately moved in with Giddey, with SGA, where you’re like, ‘Oh, these three pieces all make sense next to each other (and) now add Chet.’

They have this team where SGA is 25. Josh Giddey turned 21 this week. Dort is somehow 23, which I don’t fully understand, I think he turns 24 this season. JDub is 22. Chet’s 21. Wallace, who they just drafted, he’s 19 or 20. The other Jaylin Williams is 21 and Tre Mann is 22.

So this is like a crazy young team and that’s why you would ding them.

2010 OKC — KD was 21, Russ was 21, Harden was 20, Ibaka was 20 and Green was 25. That team jumped from 23 wins in ’09 to 50 in 2010. If you’re making the case for, ‘OKC is gonna be a lot better than people realize.’ Could you get to 50-51 (wins) this year and then a year from now, you’re 55-56? That’s what I have in my head. … I don’t think it’s unrealistic.”

These are pretty high remarks from Simmons, who Thunder fans are notoriously not the biggest fan of. Nonetheless, the message here is more important than the messenger. The argument made is pretty sound in terms of OKC’s young core ceiling but expecting 50-plus wins this season might be too tall of a task.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Charles Barkley: Lakers need Anthony Davis to be an MVP candidate

Turner Sports analyst Charles Barkley feels the Lakers’ championship hopes all depend on Anthony Davis having an MVP caliber year.

[anyclip pubname=”2123″ widgetname=”0016M00002U0B1kQAF_M8170″]

Although they aren’t the favorites to win the 2024 NBA championship, the Los Angeles Lakers have a real shot at taking it home when it’s all said and done.

They now have a deep, balanced and well-rounded roster, and it all starts with their superstar duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. But although James is the engine of the team, some feel the Lakers’ chances of winning it all rest on the shoulders of Davis.

Former NBA superstar and current Turner Sports analyst Charles Barkley told writer Bill Simmons that “it will all come down to” Davis having an MVP-caliber campaign (h/t The Sports Rush).

“Sometimes, when sports and the games are close, you are like, man, we are close, but the Lakers aren’t. Now, it will be interesting about all the stuff they did; as I said last season, it will all come down to Anthony Davis. If Anthony Davis, as much as I love LeBron, I said last season and two seasons before. The Lakers are not going anywhere if Anthony Davis is not an MVP candidate. The Lakers were lucky to have a great draw in the playoffs, but AD does not have a MVP caliber season; the Lakers are going nowhere.”

James will turn 39 years of age in late December, and the Lakers have been looking to shift more of the offensive burden to Davis over the last few years. But Davis’ annual injuries have interfered with that process.

Still, he had arguably his most productive year this past season, averaging 25.9 points and 12.5 rebounds a game while shooting 56.3 percent from the field. If that isn’t an MVP caliber season, then there isn’t really a such thing as an MVP caliber season.

Bill Simmons chooses Nets’ Ben Simmons in hypothetical NBA expansion draft

In a recent episode of “The Bill Simmons Podcast”, Bill Simmons chose Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons, but not for inspiring reasons.

Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons should be ready to fully participate in training camp in the fall now that he has recovered from the impinged nerve in his back that prematurely ended his 2022-23 season. While Brooklyn will be relying on Simmons playing better in order for the team to get to the playoffs next season, there’s something to be said about how much value Simmons has in some sections of the NBA media these days.

There have been articles written ever since Simmons came to the Nets about how much he’s being paid for the little that he was putting out on the court. In fact, Nets Wire recently covered how Simmons, according to HoopsHype‘s Real Value metric, was one of the most overpaid players last season and that was with him playing in 42 games.

In another instance of how low Simmons’ value is in the eyes of some in the media, Bill Simmons, in a recent episode of his show with Ryen Russillo, had his own take on what an NBA expansion draft would look like in terms of players that would be unprotected by their teams during the process. Bill Simmons chose the Aussie, but not for particularly inspiring reasons:

Bill Simmons suggests Seattle should look into buying the Thunder back from OKC

“What does Clay Bennett do if Seattle just offers him like $5 billion for the team?”

[anyclip pubname=”2123″ widgetname=”0016M00002U0B1kQAF_M8169″]

After enjoying a season of unexpected success with the youngest team in the league, the Oklahoma City Thunder have caught the attention of the national media.

The recent return of Chet Holmgren — who missed the entire 2022-23 season due to a Lisfranc injury — has put OKC in the spotlight once again over the last week in summer league.

The Ringer’s Bill Simmons took the opportunity to talk about the Thunder in his latest podcast episode, where he praised the best young core in the league in his opinion and then offered an interesting take about the franchise.

Simmons threw out the idea that perhaps Seattle can swoop in and regain the franchise after previously losing the Thunder to OKC in 2008. He cites the recent arena talks as a reason why this could happen, believing OKC is not willing to fund a new arena with taxpayer money.

“I was thinking if Chet is as good as some of our Ringer people thought he was — potentially — but also just how he’s looking in these clips. Can you think of what OKC had last year, where they just were like super small-ball? They had no big guys. But everybody played (really) hard and everybody rebounded and they were able to still go .500 somehow and SGA was unbelievable.

But now they have SGA, Jalen Williams, Josh Giddey and hopefully Chet — which is the best young nucleus in the league if Chet’s good. It just is… (If I can) have any four under-27 (year old) guys on one team, you’d probably pick those four. There’s a chance he might be as impactful as Wemby in the first couple of years anyway.

I hate to start (crap), but you know, OKC did steal a team from somebody else. This is the smallest market in the league. They have the smallest arena in the league… Google ‘Oklahoma City Thunder arena lease.’ Go Google all that stuff. It’s been a story there for a couple of years. They want the taxpayers to pay for a new stadium. They want to keep the team and the lease I think was up this year. They did a little three-year short lease extension.

But I just wonder — again, I hate starting (crap) — but I just wonder, you had the Bucks being valued at $3.5 billion (and) you have Phoenix at $4 billion. What happens to this team when they have all these young assets?

Like if I’m in Seattle, and I don’t know if I’m gonna be able to get an expansion team anytime soon, because you know, I still think Seattle and Vegas are gonna be the expansion teams if/when it happens, but what if you get a little (anxious) in Seattle? You look at that OKC team with the assets they built, you have the lineage of they played in Seattle once upon a time anyway.

What does Clay Bennett, who owns that team, they have a couple of other owners — one of them the Chesapeake, whatever the hell that was, they’ve fallen on some hard times, to say the least. What does Clay Bennett do if Seattle just offers him like $5 billion for the team? ‘We’ll take it, here’s $5 billion.’ What does the NBA do? And what happens if OKC wants to do it? What is the value of that team in a small market vs. a big market? And what if somebody just says (screw) it and overpays?

That’s how you get stuff. That’s how Ballmer got the Clippers, remember? Back in the day, it was like, ‘Oh my god. Ballmer, the Clippers are probably worth $1-3 billion and he’s like, ‘No they’re actually worth two.”

That’s how it played out and what happens if somebody comes at them? If I was a rich dude — like a crazy multi-billionaire, I would just want to go buy a team (type of) guy — I would start kicking the tires hard with OKC.”

OKC Mayor David Holt first brought up the possibility of the Thunder getting a new arena last July, citing it would secure the long-term future of the franchise.

“Here’s the bottom line — the NBA has changed our city forever. The vast majority of our residents know that and want that relationship to continue,” Holt said. “That facts speak plainly that we can never rest on our laurels and must always be proactive. I am extremely optimistic that we can and will secure a long-term relationship with the NBA because we have great partners in the Oklahoma City Thunder and the time to open that dialogue is now.”

In his end-of-season press conference in April, Thunder general manager Sam Presti deferred the new arena conversation to Holt, essentially saying the ball is in their court for the next steps.

“I commend him because he’s thinking forward about the future of the city, and I think that’s what’s driving his focus on that,” Presti said. “But I don’t want to talk about that without — he’s the one that needs to speak about it, I think.”

The Thunder’s current short-term lease with Paycom Center ends in 2026.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Bill Simmons expresses concern over the Thunder’s long-term ability to keep young core

“I look at a team like OKC and I just don’t know how they’re ever going to build it.”

The NBA’s recently agreed upon collective bargaining agreement will begin ahead of the 2023-24 season, which means new rules that will affect how teams operate their payrolls.

In his latest podcast, The Ringer’s Bill Simmons expressed concern over how the new CBA could hurt the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Simmons said the Thunder might reach a point where they have to decide which of their young core to keep long term — reminiscent of OKC’s previous core, where it had to deal James Harden for a multiple reasons, including the luxury tax.

“I look at a team like OKC and I just don’t know how they’re ever going to build it. They’re trying to build it the old fashion way and be smart and through the draft. And Giddey is gonna be a max guy. Shai is gonna be underpaid eventually. … What if Holmgren is awesome? Jalen Williams is going to be a borderline max guy. You can’t have all those guys. I don’t like when teams are smart and get penalized for it,”

It seems as though the new CBA is actually more Thunder-friendly because it encourages teams to draft well and extend their own players. If the Thunder go over the second tax apron, it’ll only hurt their ability to acquire outside talent — something OKC already historically struggles with.

The new CBA eliminated the restriction that only two players on a roster could be signed to a super-max deal. This means that if the four Thunder players Simmons mentions truly hit their ceiling, then OKC would theoretically be able to extend all four of them if ownership has the stomach to do so.

Under the previous CBA, teams weren’t able to sign a third player to a super-max extension.

Regardless, if the Thunder eventually end up with the problem of having too many good players on their roster, that’s a good problem to have and can help solve other areas on the roster if need be.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

A very sad Bill Simmons became a meme after the Celtics lost Game 7 in Boston to the Heat

Bill Simmons looked devastated.

Bill Simmons is one of the most recognizable Celtics fans in the world, and when his team lost on Monday, his face was everywhere.

Simmons, a former ESPN media personality and Grantland boss who is now CEO of The Ringer, says that he flew to Boston with his father so they could catch the final game of the series against Miami.

Once it was clear that the Celtics would not advance to the NBA Finals despite playing at the TD Garden in Boston, some fans tweeted their desire for a live reaction from Simmons. TNT’s camera crew did not disappoint whatsoever.

This look from Simmons perfectly encapsulates what it feels like to be a devastated sports fan at a game you were expecting to win.

Simmons responded to the tweet, adding: “This about sums it up.”

Because it was so relatable and frankly a little bit funny, it immediately became a meme format people began to post as well.

Bill Simmons sees potential of borderline draft catastrophe with Rockets, Jalen Green

Second-year #Rockets guard Jalen Green has again found himself as target of Bill Simmons’ criticism, this time in a draft comparison to Cleveland’s Evan Mobley.

Since the Cleveland Cavaliers drafted big man Evan Mobley at No. 3 overall in the NBA’s 2021 first round, most statistical metrics have graded him out as a superior player to Houston’s Jalen Green. That, of course, is who went to the Rockets one pick earlier at No. 2 overall.

There is, however, some important context. Mobley is playing for a Cleveland team with talented and accomplished veterans Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, and Darius Garland. With that as the core, the Cavaliers are in position to win now, and Mobley can play to his strengths while gradually developing his weaknesses.

In Houston, Green is playing for one of the league’s youngest teams — and one with the NBA’s worst record for three straight seasons. The 21-year-old is regularly asked to carry the load. The surrounding infrastructure of Green with the Rockets, relative to Mobley and the Cavaliers, is very much an apples-to-oranges comparison.

Furthermore, it’s worth noting that with both players still in only their second NBA seasons, there’s considerable time left for growth and development. Green shouldn’t be close to his peak.

Nonetheless, the efficiency numbers are what they are, and Mobley has also been a more effective defender to this point. With that in mind, The Ringer’s Bill Simmons, who’s had harsh things to say about Green in the past, went in on the Rockets guard, yet again.

Here’s a sampling of Simmons’ comments from a new podcast:

I’m very close to Jalen Green over Mobley being, like, a borderline draft catastrophe. We’re edging that way. It felt that way in the moment. It was like, ‘Man, this Jalen Green better be really good, because Mobley … I know what he is.’ That game last night (versus Boston, a team Simmons is a fan of) was really crazy.

Mobley had 25 points and 17 rebounds on 10-of-14 shooting (71.4%) in that game, which Cleveland won in overtime.

Last season, after Simmons directed disparaging and profane remarks at Green, Houston’s prospect attempted to clear the air with the veteran NBA media personality in a podcast appearance.

Ten months later, the beef may now be back on. Green responded to Simmons’ comments with this tweet, which he quickly deleted.

Bill Simmons still on that?

Time will tell whether there’s another podcast recording between the two. As for the basketball comparison, Mobley is averaging 16 points (55.1% FG), 9.1 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game with the Cavaliers this season, while Green is averaging 21.7 points (41.4% FG), 3.8 rebounds, and 3.6 assists with the Rockets.

Green leads all second-year players in scoring.

Curiously, Simmons didn’t mention Detroit’s Cade Cunningham, who was also drafted ahead of Mobley in that 2021 class. Cunningham, the No. 1 pick, has missed most of the 2022-23 season with a shin injury. When he has played, his true shooting percentage (49.2% to 53.6%), effective field-goal percentage (45.3% to 48.5%), and player efficiency rating (14.1 to 14.2) were all worse than Green’s.

Cunningham finished behind Green in those categories as a rookie, as well, and he came in with fewer 2021-22 win shares. Thus, if Simmons isn’t willing to give Green and the Rockets the benefit of the doubt by waiting a longer period before forming a final judgment (relative to Mobley), it isn’t clear why the Cunningham and the Pistons aren’t being subjected to the same criticism.

[lawrence-related id=101753,100841]

[mm-video type=video id=01gv1faq9apf1m96g59b playlist_id=none player_id=01eqbvq570kgj8vfs7 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gv1faq9apf1m96g59b/01gv1faq9apf1m96g59b-e6b296b0440225d1cbb68929658c50fe.jpg]