The Portland Trail Blazers made a big splash this summer but haven't addressed their potential undersupply of serviceable forwards. Well, Ben Simmons remains unsigned, and he could probably be of some help to the Blazers in that department if they take an unexpected flyer on him.
Despite the team's core pieces looking like odd fits alongside each other on the court, there should be little doubt that it has a nice collection of talented individuals.
A massive hole on the roster
At the guard spots are a shoo-in Hall of Famer, someone who looked like a strong HOF candidate a few years ago, a vet whose HOF resume speaks for itself, a former No. 3 pick, and a 23-year-old flamethrower who averaged nearly 20.8 points in 29.4 minutes per game last season.
The center rotation also looks promising. Donovan Clingan has been a sturdy defensive anchor for the Blazers while providing elite offensive rebounding prowess. Robert Williams III, when healthy, might be one of the best backup bigs in the league. Branden Carlson and Yang Hansen have shown the potential to be rotation-level players eventually; the question is whether they can get over the hump.
Where it gets tricky is the small forward and power forward positions. Sure, the Blazers have Deni Avdija and Toumani Camara starting at the frontcourt. Behind those two, though, there is barely any depth. Vit Krejci and Sidy Cissoko have yet to take the leap, while Micah Potter and Jeremy Sochan are on training camp deals.
Naturally, we should expect a ton of three-guard lineups. Jrue Holiday is more than capable of playing the three. But the Blazers would be playing with fire if they don't address their lack of capable forwards.
Is Ben Simmons the solution?
The problem with the Ben Simmons idea is that the ex-star has looked like a shell of his former self.
It's been years since he was effective on the hardwood floor, let alone playing at an All-Star level. His confidence has also infamously gone missing. Simmons may look ready to help an NBA squad based on what he has displayed on social media. But not a lot of people believe that his mental state is indeed back to where it was earlier in his career.
But what if the 2016 No. 1 pick is finally ready? No team will know unless he gets the chance to prove himself in training camp.
Portland might want to give him that opportunity. He wouldn't be the franchise's first reclamation project this year after bringing in Ja Morant earlier this offseason. And, as already mentioned, Sochan and Potter will be competing for a roster spot. It wouldn't hurt to add Simmons to the mix.
It's understandable if fans find the idea of him wearing a Blazers jersey laughable or hard to grasp. His fit with the other core guys seems peculiar, especially since he cannot space the floor.
On the other hand, if Simmons can be a productive ball-handler or floor general on offense and still be capable of defending wings and bigs on defense, he might be just what the doctor ordered for the Blazers.
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