Not long ago, the Blazers and pelicans reached a blockbuster deal, the team's second leader CJ McCollum to trade to the Pelicans, plus Powell and Covington were also sent to the Clippers earlier, the Blazers' series of "fan operations" are also considered to be rebuilding, but the management made it clear that the team does not intend to rebuild, but still wants to build a team around Lillard, and in terms of their performance over the Lakers today, the Blazers may really continue to have a certain competitiveness.
Earlier, the Blazers sat on their home ground and ushered in the challenge of the Lakers, before which the Blazers had suffered a wave of 6 consecutive losses, the last game was lost to the Magic of the East with 18 points, although this game Westbrook could not play because of back tension, but the purple and gold legions sitting on the thick eyebrows and James still had a certain threat, not to mention that the Blazers could play several have all left the team, so that Billups can only send a Simmons, Nurkic, McLemore, Winslow, Ellebi started the Five Tigers lineup so dismally, but even so, the Blazers eventually beat the Lakers 107-105, ending their losing streak.
Simmons started 38 minutes, shot 11-of-23, and scored a team-high 29 points and five assists on 5-of-11 three-pointers, and it was his explosion in the second half (25 points in the second half) that helped the Blazers blow the counter-attack horn and the Blazers were able to achieve this hard-won victory. In fact, Simmons's outbreak is not surprising, in the case of not long ago replaced Lillard and CJ as the starter, Simmons has handed over 20+ stable points in succession, in the January 4 game against the Eagles, Simmons single-core led the team, won a career high of 43 points, 3 rebounds and 7 assists, so that his name is completely known to everyone.
According to relevant statistics, in the 23 games simmons started this season, he averaged 20.8 points, 2.9 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game, and the three shooting rates were as high as 44.9%. 39.7% and 86.2%, offensive firepower compared to CJ who has left the team, can be said to be more than enough (CJ has averaged only 20.5 points per game this season), and compared to CJ, who has reached the ceiling ceiling, Simmons is currently only 22 years old, is a rare two-legged defender, has just started his career, and still has a lot of potential to be tapped. At that time, if Lillard returns, his partner with Simmons will also allow the Blazers to regain a new two-gun combination.
Now that the Blazers have made it clear that the team will not rebuild, but will continue to build reinforcements around Lillard at its core, Simmons is undoubtedly an important puzzle worthy of heavy responsibility. The 18-year first round of the No. 24 show, in fact, the career trajectory and CJ are indeed the same. Neither side had many opportunities in the first few years of entering the league, and now the Blazers have sent away all the two main rivals Powell and CJ, plus Alexander Walker, who traded from the Pelicans, has also been transferred earlier, paving the way for Simmons to completely take the position.
If Simmons can seize the opportunity, it is really possible to become another All-Star player in the future of the Blazers, knowing that CJ, who has never touched the All-Star stage in so many years. This opportunity to ascend to the throne is in front of us, and it depends on whether Simmons can cherish it.