Portland came to the crossroads, and the phrase had been chanted for more than half a year, and now it seemed to see their choice. The two-gun era has not yet completely ended, but the two-gun members have changed. Sending away CJ McCollum's broken thoughts became a reality, Powell and Nance Jr. played a hurried passerby, Covington changed the door once again, and the so-called competitiveness that the Blazers had just formed, just like the middle class lost to reality in the entanglement of suburban flats and school district old and broken, acknowledging that the distance between them and the championship was never 1 or 2 key cards, but the fundamental innate deficiency of the team.
If the Blazers realize this, then "Lillard + Simmons Jr." doesn't seem to have more room to imagine than Lillard + CJ McCollum. So whether there is still a boot that has not landed, this should be a reasonable speculation of many attempted management in the league.
Indeed, everything is inconclusive now, Lillard has not announced a complete season reimbursement, the team said it will build a team around him, and the Blazers have ushered in a wave of 4 consecutive wins after the operation of "self-destruction of martial arts, re-cultivation". Portland didn't pragmatically do a wave of extreme dives, as one might expect. It is not difficult to understand that the record is already ahead of the bad area, and it is not easy to chase with force, after all, people will see you catch up, and they will also follow the lowering exercises.
The Blazers originally gave the Bulls a first round in the Nance Jr. trade, which is the protection of the lotto area, but it can be postponed until 2028, sooner or later to give, early to give early to unwind. Since CJ traded the Pelicans' first round with the 5-14 pick this year (not getting a delay until the following year), considering the Pelicans' future winning momentum, it is safest to get this first round this year. The Blazers themselves won, which meant the Pelicans couldn't make it into the playoffs, which added to the motivation to win once. Of course, none of this matters. For players, why not fight hard if they can win?
I like the recent Trailblazers, who have negated the definition of "scraps" with their actions, creating another problem for the operation of management - will these be the people the Blazers want?
It's hard to guess where Winslow's next three-pointer will be, he's been punching in the face in recent years trying to scratch the lottery's next home, and according to normal logic, the Blazers should have helped him find a foothold before the trade deadline and completely cleared the 4.1 million on next season's payroll. But after six games, the Blazers have a little bit of anticipation for Winslow, and for a team whose defense is hopeless, this guy is thirst-quenching. A bandit who can take on various defensive tasks in multiple positions cannot be disliked by Billups. Considering his modest salary, the likelihood of staying in the squad next season is not low.
Josh Hart was the one who brought the victory directly. While it wasn't surprising, Hart was put into the CJ deal package, not because the Pelicans thought he was bad, but because the Pelicans needed a tie contract + the Pelicans had a replacement + the rest of the Hart contract was a bit odd. Purely in terms of ability, Hart is the player any team needs — strong, active, not sparing every rebound, seizing any chance of a quick impact, blowing the charge horn with a full presence, and then shooting 11 of 21 three-pointers. This 13 million, I am afraid, will not move.
The Trail Blazers always wanted 3D and then never got the point. Covington has this name, but he is too partial to defense, and the Blazers must first be defended. Powell knows more than 3D, but in a team with two guns, basic body size needs to be provided on the flanks. Neither Hart nor Winslow are tall, but both are good bodyguards.
Nurkic and the Blazers intend to renew each other's contracts, simmons jr. will of course get a satisfactory contract, then the Blazers' so-called operation of cleaning up the space, in fact, in the end to clear a lonely, cut out of the space is not enough to play the ticket.
I mean, it still can't be said that the trailblazers have a definite answer, how they choose, the future has a way, and there are reasons. But we're not sure if that coincides enough with Lillard's timeline, or what a breakthrough will be made by building a lineup that's closer to the style of the 18-19 season. All you can say is that the Blazers have the hope of reinventing the value of the players they have exchanged, and then take it one step at a time, and if they catch the opportunity, they can do further operations, which can be bound to Hart + Winslow + This summer's two picks are not low to do the first round of the trade, or it can be to re-mention the topic of where Lillard is going.
Both the Trail Blazers and Lillard had a hard time making a final decision, and their habitual bondage and shared expectations were both trying to postpone that day. Until negotiations over this year's offseason are over, it is difficult to draw conclusions.
For a regular city team, it is not easy to get a star of Lillard's level, because a bad swing is never the same as necessarily using high draft picks to cultivate a team of stars and a big 75. Without Simmons Jr., perhaps the Blazers would have struggled even harder by pressing the restart button — the rising Trent Jr. didn't make the Blazers change direction, they exchanged him for a similarly sized Powell, and the younger Trent Jr. got a better contract at the Raptors than Powell's. It can be seen that the Blazers are fighting hard in order to win at the moment - after they confirm that they have at least one bottom-up team building choice, they have a big move, and then they can go in and out.
So, how good is Little Simmons?
After entering 2022, he averaged 23.6 points per game, 41.8% from three-point range, 4.4 three-pointers per game, 61% from true range, 6.1 assists per game, and 2.18 assists per game.
Fans who are no longer sensitive to data should also know what level this is about - this is almost the average data of CJ's desire to open the pass control, and Simmons Jr. is constantly improving this momentum, getting better and better. From him, you can see the Blazers' two-gun combination, and the various skill packs are about equal to (Lillard *70% + CJ *80%)/2:
He does not have the sprint ability of Lillard's step on the ground, but the dribble is smooth, can flexibly slip through the side of the cover wall, pulls out three points in a single block of cover, and is confident that he will not lose Lillard;
His change of direction in the mid-range rhythm may not be as silky as CJ's, but he can also find shooting space in the needle, and throwing with one hand is the style of the same modern guard;
His shot was far better than expected, the Delad-style unnecessary risk-free, and the potential to play the No. 1 position had been unleashed.
I can't say that Simmons Jr. is the future of the Blazers, his thin body shape limits the upper limit of the end, and after a confrontation with a defender, you will know why Lillard is Lillard, that level is not so easy to touch. But it is possible to have Simmons fill the gap in the second main attacker after sending CJ away, and he solves the Blazers' long-standing troubles - if CJ becomes a 3D forward, who will fill CJ's position? - Then give the Trailblazers this magic puzzle:
Or a double gun in the backcourt, do you want to choose to continue?
Simmons Jr. is much thinner than CJ, and everyone knows where the upper limit of the defensive end is when he hangs out with Lillard. The Blazers only had Simmons Jr.'s days, surrounded by a strong muscular stick, briefly having the expected defensive picture, and Simmons Jr. forced a lot of problems in a not superior space, which is remarkable. But the Blazers ultimately have to face the problem of how to go further when two guards take too much money.
Perhaps, this question belongs to Lillard's destiny.
Anyway, you have to admit that the Pioneers have new hope and vitality, and little Simmons is the most glorious being in this sneaky collective. Just looking at the offense, he is far more shocking than Hiro and Poole, like a synthetic product extracting superpower genes from Lillard and CJ. You know that the era of two guns will one day come to an end, so the last commemoration may be Simmons's legacy of skills. He had been their shadow, and later, their shadow had become them.