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

[BornReady]

Simmons is the best prospect since Anthony Davis or perhaps Lebron James

Griffin has shown that he won't be able to lead a team even with help deep into the playoffs

[Donoghus]

Simmons is the best prospect since Anthony Davis or perhaps Lebron James

Griffin has shown that he won't be able to lead a team even with help deep into the playoffs

To be fair to Griffin, he has been playing a ridiculously loaded conference for his entire career. 

He's basically on this generation's version of the '80s Bucks or '90s Knicks. 

I'm still taking Simmons, though.

[ThaPreacher]

Simmons is the best prospect since Anthony Davis or perhaps Lebron James

Griffin has shown that he won't be able to lead a team even with help deep into the playoffs

To be fair to Griffin, he has been playing a ridiculously loaded conference for his entire career. 

He's basically on this generation's version of the '80s Bucks or '90s Knicks. 

I'm still taking Simmons, though.

Well what about the Brooklyn pick as it is now (#3) David Lee, Crowder for Griffin?
Or some combination of sorts. 

[PhoSita]

Griffin has been to the playoffs 5 times in the first 6 years of his career and his team has played something like 44 playoff games in that span (with him averaging something like 22 and 10), so it's a little silly to suggest he's not a guy who can lead his team to meaningful playoff victories.

[chambers]

Simmons is the best prospect since Anthony Davis or perhaps Lebron James

Griffin has shown that he won't be able to lead a team even with help deep into the playoffs

Except he led them to one game from the Western Conference Finals with playoff stats of

25.5 points
12.3 rebounds
6.1 assists
1 block
1 steal

on 51% shooting.

lol

[chambers]

I think the decision is much harder to make when Simmons is at #1.
If the pick were #2 or #3 I think most would do it, and as others have mentioned, if it were for Griffin at the deadline, no one would hesitate.

As I posted in the above reply, his playoff stats last year were:

25.5 points
12.3 rebounds
6.1 assists
1 block
1 steal

on 51% shooting.

That's a monster right there. Are we hoping for Simmons to average better than that? Even this season with multiple injuries he's averaging 23 points 8.7 rebounds and 5 assists on 51% shooting.

I think the decision is not so cut and dry but if we got Simmons I can see how hard it would be to trade him away to another team. I guess if I knew I could get Durant to Boston by getting Blake Griffin here, then I'd pull the trigger.

I'd say the advantages of having Blake here would be that we already have a great supporting cast here in Smart, IT, Crowder and we could build a true contender pretty quickly with all key players around the 25 year to 27 year old age mark.


In reality I don't think the Clippers trade Blake for Ben Simmons. They have CP3 now and they'll run with it.

[Celtics18]

I'm as impressed with Ben Simmons as the next guy, but if folks are going to keep talking about how Blake Griffin hasn't shown the ability to lead his team to championship level play, shouldn't it also be noted that Simmons' college team is on the bubble to make the big dance?

[max215]

I love the idea of raising a home grown star, but Blake Griffin is essentially the best case scenario for a #1 Pick. I think we'd have to do it.

[ImShakHeIsShaq]

I love the idea of raising a home grown star, but Blake Griffin is essentially the best case scenario for a #1 Pick. I think we'd have to do it.

I hear you but LBJ is best case, Blake is probably in the next tier.

[BudweiserCeltic]

It's just hard to get the emotions out of this because I detest everything about Griffin.

[greece66]

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

[greece66]

It's just hard to get the emotions out of this because I detest everything about Griffin.

Same here. TP.

[GreenFaith1819]

Definitely tempting.

I'm tempering my criticism of him in regards of the incident.

He made a stupid mistake but should be forgiven.

Talent wise? He's a good a passer as KLove, has improved his D, his athleticism is well-known, and he's proven to up his game in the playoffs.

If we got him somehow, we'd need to put certain players around him to be successful, though. ESPN article I read on yesterday seemed to make good sense, at least to me.

Author: Zach Lowe

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/14669764/blake-griffin-tenure-los-angeles-become-questions-hour

[GC003332]

I would much prefer the continuity of drafted Simmons than trading for Griffin.
The Clippers have gone 14-3 in his absence recently, people sometimes get seduced by the guys pure stats, many games I have watched the Clippers look better as a team when they aren't forcing that screen and roll action with him, Chris Paul is the engine that drives that club, sometimes I feel that they just want to placate Griffin offensively  so that he will put forward greater effort on the defensive side of the ball.
Whether Simmons reaches top 10 player level who knows but I would be willing to roll the dice and welcome in the Ben Simmons era.
I would love to see a NBA star start and finish his career in a Celtics uniform again.

[Snakehead]

I also do not like things about Griffin but those things would be eased by being on my team.  That tends to help.

I think he's become very talented and much more complete now.  He would thrive in our system because he would get to handle the ball some more than he gets to with Paul and he can hit a jumper.  He would really thrive with the defenders, pace, and space our team has.  Like Love would but in a different way.  One thing our team could really use in my opinion is have a guy who can attack the rim in transition and for lobs and alley oops and he fits that very well.

I do like Simmons but I do not see him on a LeBron level from what I have seen of him yet.  His shooting appears to be a bit of an issue but it'd be silly to think he can't improve.  Or regardless, that he can't round that into shape and still be really effective.  I really like his rebounding.  As long as he can at least shoot a midrange shot, he can be a big time player passing, rebounding, and hanging around the paint to make plays.

To me a lot of those things sound like.... Griffin now and he's only 26. That's where my thinking is.

Now do we even get the first pick?  After Simmons I would definitely trade the pick.  But then some ideas have a lot more in the trade as well.  Always tough to say.  It's becoming harder to trade guys like Crowder away in theory given how well he is playing.  If you think about keeping these guys and adding a guy who can rebound, make plays, score near the rim in Simmons I get just taking him and going.  I think he will be able to play right away.