Would you trade the #1 pick (Ben Simmons) for Blake Griffin?

[wdleehi]

Wow. I thought we were suppose to be some of the smarter bball fans.

I can't believe people are actually considering Simmons for Griffin.

Why?   One of them is a top 10 NBA player. 


What do you hope for when you pick number 1? 

To develop into a top 10 NBA player. 



I would take the sure thing who is only 26 years old.

Griffin is a fine player. Top 10 not so sure. But I do know he's no where close to players like Durant, Curry, Westbrook, Lebron, George, Anthony Davis. And Simmons is the closest thing to a sure thing in a long time. He's got the chance to be in that same class as those type of players. At the very worse, he ends up at Griffin's level.

Not to mention Griffin is going to run through his peak years before Simmons does.

It's just dumb every way you slice it.

He is 26.  He has plenty of prime years left instead of a guy you hope will reach the same level.

There is no hope. Have you seen him play?

Dude has Lebron James bball instincts.

Of course there is hope and a very good chance.  That's why there are very few players out there I would trade the 1st round pick for.


But how many time have seen the huge college hype turn into a bust?  (Not saying he is going to be a bust)


If you have the chance for a young top 10 player without that chance of bust, how do you not go for it? 

[KeepRondo]

Wow. I thought we were suppose to be some of the smarter bball fans.

I can't believe people are actually considering Simmons for Griffin.

Why?   One of them is a top 10 NBA player. 


What do you hope for when you pick number 1? 

To develop into a top 10 NBA player. 



I would take the sure thing who is only 26 years old.

Simmons is currently blowing away Griffin's college stats.  Do you take a guy who is top 10 right now at just 26 or do you take the unproven kid who, if he pans out, could be a lot better?

Mike

There it is.


"IF"


There is no if in Blake except can he get even better.

He'll get worse in 3-4 years when that jumping juice evaporates some.

[Moranis]

Here's how I look at it.

Trade away the 1st pick (Simmons) along with several other team assets to acquire a higher priced Blake Griffin.    You get a top 10 player out of it but it depletes your supporting cast or your ability to upgrade your supporting cast via trade or free agency.  Griffin is getting paid more & you'll have more positions you'll possibly have to address via FA due to trading away other current Celtics.

or

Keep the 1st & draft Simmons.  You get a rookie on a cost controlled team contract AND you still haven't emptied out the asset coffers & can use them down the road.  You don't get the talent of Griffin up front (most likely) and you're banking on the "potential" aspect of things.   Potentially could also make the rebuild last longer but you also have a kid who could very well end up exceeding the talent level of Griffin a half decade down the road.

I'm gambling with the latter.

That was the problem with the question to begin with.  If it only cost that one 1st round draft pick, you have to make the move.



But there is no way the Clippers make this move without more coming back to them.

Love was acquired for Wiggins, Bennett, and a future 1st.  Bennett was basically considered a bust, but might still become a usable player and the 1st was always going to be a very late pick.  I'd put Griffin and Love on a similar level.  Thus, I don't think it would take much more than Simmons to land Griffin

[KeepRondo]

Wow. I thought we were suppose to be some of the smarter bball fans.

I can't believe people are actually considering Simmons for Griffin.

Why?   One of them is a top 10 NBA player. 


What do you hope for when you pick number 1? 

To develop into a top 10 NBA player. 



I would take the sure thing who is only 26 years old.

Griffin is a fine player. Top 10 not so sure. But I do know he's no where close to players like Durant, Curry, Westbrook, Lebron, George, Anthony Davis. And Simmons is the closest thing to a sure thing in a long time. He's got the chance to be in that same class as those type of players. At the very worse, he ends up at Griffin's level.

Not to mention Griffin is going to run through his peak years before Simmons does.

It's just dumb every way you slice it.

He is 26.  He has plenty of prime years left instead of a guy you hope will reach the same level.

There is no hope. Have you seen him play?

Dude has Lebron James bball instincts.

Of course there is hope and a very good chance.  That's why there are very few players out there I would trade the 1st round pick for.


But how many time have seen the huge college hype turn into a bust?  (Not saying he is going to be a bust)


If you have the chance for a young top 10 player without that chance of bust, how do you not go for it?

Are we talking about the 90s and the early 2000s or recently?

Also what's your top 10 because I don't have Griffin in mine. And if you have him in your top 10, is he really that much better than the next group of players.

[Tr1boy]

Nobody would . come on.

you live for the draft Triboy.  you'd rather take a swing with the last pick in the second round than trade it away.

False

Simmons is as close to the next Lebron as you get. You don't trade him for anyone outside of Curry

Maybe for  Draymond Green also

I wouldn't say he's the next Lebron. He would have to bulk up a lot. He'll end up being his own player.

But I will agree that he does have bball instincts like Lebron.

How bulky was Lebron in year 1? Or 2?

Simmons is a man child for  his age. And is 6'10 (2 inches taller than Lebron)

His handles and passing skills are every bit as good as Lebron also. 

[KeepRondo]

Here's how I look at it.

Trade away the 1st pick (Simmons) along with several other team assets to acquire a higher priced Blake Griffin.    You get a top 10 player out of it but it depletes your supporting cast or your ability to upgrade your supporting cast via trade or free agency.  Griffin is getting paid more & you'll have more positions you'll possibly have to address via FA due to trading away other current Celtics.

or

Keep the 1st & draft Simmons.  You get a rookie on a cost controlled team contract AND you still haven't emptied out the asset coffers & can use them down the road.  You don't get the talent of Griffin up front (most likely) and you're banking on the "potential" aspect of things.   Potentially could also make the rebuild last longer but you also have a kid who could very well end up exceeding the talent level of Griffin a half decade down the road.

I'm gambling with the latter.

That was the problem with the question to begin with.  If it only cost that one 1st round draft pick, you have to make the move.



But there is no way the Clippers make this move without more coming back to them.

Love was acquired for Wiggins, Bennett, and a future 1st.  Bennett was basically considered a bust, but might still become a usable player and the 1st was always going to be a very late pick.  I'd put Griffin and Love on a similar level.  Thus, I don't think it would take much more than Simmons to land Griffin

You could argue they are close to the same value now but at the time Love was considered a top 5 or 7 player. Also Simmons has more upside then Wiggins.

[MBunge]

Wow. I thought we were suppose to be some of the smarter bball fans.

I can't believe people are actually considering Simmons for Griffin.

Why?   One of them is a top 10 NBA player. 


What do you hope for when you pick number 1? 

To develop into a top 10 NBA player. 



I would take the sure thing who is only 26 years old.

Simmons is currently blowing away Griffin's college stats.  Do you take a guy who is top 10 right now at just 26 or do you take the unproven kid who, if he pans out, could be a lot better?

Mike

There it is.


"IF"


There is no if in Blake except can he get even better.

The chances of Blake getting a LOT better is fairly small.  He's a very good but not great scorer, very good but not great rebounder and an okay passer and defender.  Weren't people all freaked out not that long ago by the possibility of topping out as a non-title contender?  Isn't Griffin as your best player exactly the way to do that?

Mike

[Quetzalcoatl]

The problem is we still need a team around Blake once we get him.  If we give up Crowder, Ben Simmons, IT, Smart and/or KO, then we're going to need to replace the piece we just gave up anyways.  Plus, now our chemistry is going to be worse.

The Clippers aren't going to win a championship with Blake and CP3, Blake isn't playing until likely the playoffs so their seed will be terrible, they have no bench and no good picks coming up.  We should just give them all of our non-BK picks for him, but I don't think they'll agree to it, even though it's what they need.

[KeepRondo]

Nobody would . come on.

you live for the draft Triboy.  you'd rather take a swing with the last pick in the second round than trade it away.

False

Simmons is as close to the next Lebron as you get. You don't trade him for anyone outside of Curry

Maybe for  Draymond Green also

I wouldn't say he's the next Lebron. He would have to bulk up a lot. He'll end up being his own player.

But I will agree that he does have bball instincts like Lebron.

How bulky was Lebron in year 1? Or 2?

Simmons is a man child for  his age. And is 6'10 (2 inches taller than Lebron)

His handles and passing skills are every bit as good as Lebron also.

Just trying to slow your roll. Lebron has been the most physically dominating player since Shaq. Rewind 4-5 years ago. He was a freight train coming down the lane.

I would never assume anyone would put on the same kind of muscle. I also don't think he gets as high up as Lebron does.

[Jon]

Definitely not. Blake Griffin is very good, but he's not a transcendent player. That's not a knock. Paul Pierce wasn't. Ray Allen wasn't. Kevin Garnett might not have even been one. Griffin is still going to be a Hall of Famer and he may win a title or two, but he's clearly not a guy who is going to guarantee you a shot at a title every year by himself.

Simmons may not ever be a transcendent player, but he also may. And you don't give up a shot to have a guy like that.

The more interesting question is whether you'd give up the Brooklyn pick at the deadline for Griffin knowing it only has a 15-20% chance to get Simmons. I'd be much more inclined to do that.

[Tr1boy]

Nobody would . come on.

you live for the draft Triboy.  you'd rather take a swing with the last pick in the second round than trade it away.

False

Simmons is as close to the next Lebron as you get. You don't trade him for anyone outside of Curry

Maybe for  Draymond Green also

I wouldn't say he's the next Lebron. He would have to bulk up a lot. He'll end up being his own player.

But I will agree that he does have bball instincts like Lebron.

How bulky was Lebron in year 1? Or 2?

Simmons is a man child for  his age. And is 6'10 (2 inches taller than Lebron)

His handles and passing skills are every bit as good as Lebron also.

Just trying to slow your roll. Lebron has been the most physically dominating player since Shaq. Rewind 4-5 years ago. He was a freight train coming down the lane.

I would never assume anyone would put on the same kind of muscle. I also don't think he gets as high up as Lebron does.

Lebron was not huge at year 1 or 2. But the last thing he was was skinny kr weak for his age. He has worked hard to build his body

You think Simmons will stop working out

I bet he may never become as beast as Lebron but def will be  a strong player.  And is 6'10

[Who]

The more interesting question is whether you'd give up the Brooklyn pick at the deadline for Griffin knowing it only has a 15-20% chance to get Simmons. I'd be much more inclined to do that.

I'd definitely do that. Sign me up. I'd love to have B.Griffin here.

[KeepRondo]

Nobody would . come on.

you live for the draft Triboy.  you'd rather take a swing with the last pick in the second round than trade it away.

False

Simmons is as close to the next Lebron as you get. You don't trade him for anyone outside of Curry

Maybe for  Draymond Green also

I wouldn't say he's the next Lebron. He would have to bulk up a lot. He'll end up being his own player.

But I will agree that he does have bball instincts like Lebron.

How bulky was Lebron in year 1? Or 2?

Simmons is a man child for  his age. And is 6'10 (2 inches taller than Lebron)

His handles and passing skills are every bit as good as Lebron also.

Just trying to slow your roll. Lebron has been the most physically dominating player since Shaq. Rewind 4-5 years ago. He was a freight train coming down the lane.

I would never assume anyone would put on the same kind of muscle. I also don't think he gets as high up as Lebron does.

Lebron was not huge at year 1 or 2. But the last thing he was was skinny kr weak for his age. He has worked hard to build his body

You think Simmons will stop working out

I bet he may never become as beast as Lebron but def will be  a strong player.  And is 6'10

I don't see his game going that way. He has a bit more finesse in his game and I don't see him having the same power/strength as Lebron.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LcyqKtBItek

Check out dunk 4. All these clips came from Lebron's rookie year.

Ricky Davis appearance after dunk 5.

[Tr1boy]

Nobody would . come on.

you live for the draft Triboy.  you'd rather take a swing with the last pick in the second round than trade it away.

False

Simmons is as close to the next Lebron as you get. You don't trade him for anyone outside of Curry

Maybe for  Draymond Green also

I wouldn't say he's the next Lebron. He would have to bulk up a lot. He'll end up being his own player.

But I will agree that he does have bball instincts like Lebron.

How bulky was Lebron in year 1? Or 2?

Simmons is a man child for  his age. And is 6'10 (2 inches taller than Lebron)

His handles and passing skills are every bit as good as Lebron also.

Just trying to slow your roll. Lebron has been the most physically dominating player since Shaq. Rewind 4-5 years ago. He was a freight train coming down the lane.

I would never assume anyone would put on the same kind of muscle. I also don't think he gets as high up as Lebron does.

Lebron was not huge at year 1 or 2. But the last thing he was was skinny kr weak for his age. He has worked hard to build his body

You think Simmons will stop working out

I bet he may never become as beast as Lebron but def will be  a strong player.  And is 6'10

I don't see his game going that way. He has a bit more finesse in his game and I don't see him having the same power/strength as Lebron.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LcyqKtBItek

Check out dunk 4. All these clips came from Lebron's rookie year.

Ricky Davis appearance after dunk 5.

I know. Ppl say Simmons will be a magic/Lebron hybrid (not meaning necessarily best of both worlds combined) but some kind of hybrid

Still a top level talent.  Higher than Wiggins and at least at the same level as Davis. But a better position to excel in the NBA given size/strength vs Davis length but only so so build/strength

[Casperian]

The majority of the people will say no, of course. People always love the prospects of the next draft. It's the same every year. Even the smart and considerate ones get caught up in the hype.

If you had made a poll two years ago "Would you trade Jabari Parker for Griffin?", the majority would've said no.

I agree it would be hard to trade Simmons for Griffin if we actually win the lottery, but I would definitely trade the pick for him at the deadline.