2017 NBA Manifesto
Jonathan Simmons
SG/SF, 6’6, 195lbs, 27 years old, 2 years of experience
In a league full of the athletic types, Simmons stands out. One of the few regular purveyors of the chase-down block now that LeBron has stopped doing it, and plenty willing and able to dunk on any tosser any time, Simmons thrives on transition opportunities and baseline cuts around post-play, spotting up occasionally, driving close-outs, and being effective offensively without being much of a shooter or without being able to dribble in traffic. Let us not confused his memorable year with being a particularly good one, however; his .504% true shooting percentage speaks to his limitations (with a low level of ball skills that has not improved much), he does not rebound despite having all the tools to do so, and he is already 27 years old. Still, he does well in his role. And should any team (READ: Brooklyn) fancy throwing a big contract at him in the hope that he can improve that handle and become more of a focal-point scorer to go along with some excellent wing defence, then, despite his age, the Arenas rule will apply.
Player Plan: Entering restricted free agency coming off of a minimum salary. The Arenas provision applies, but should not be needed - if someone wishes to bid over the MLE for a system player with limited skill headed towards 30, let them.
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SG/SF, 6’6, 195lbs, 27 years old, 2 years of experience
In a league full of the athletic types, Simmons stands out. One of the few regular purveyors of the chase-down block now that LeBron has stopped doing it, and plenty willing and able to dunk on any tosser any time, Simmons thrives on transition opportunities and baseline cuts around post-play, spotting up occasionally, driving close-outs, and being effective offensively without being much of a shooter or without being able to dribble in traffic. Let us not confused his memorable year with being a particularly good one, however; his .504% true shooting percentage speaks to his limitations (with a low level of ball skills that has not improved much), he does not rebound despite having all the tools to do so, and he is already 27 years old. Still, he does well in his role. And should any team (READ: Brooklyn) fancy throwing a big contract at him in the hope that he can improve that handle and become more of a focal-point scorer to go along with some excellent wing defence, then, despite his age, the Arenas rule will apply.
Player Plan: Entering restricted free agency coming off of a minimum salary. The Arenas provision applies, but should not be needed - if someone wishes to bid over the MLE for a system player with limited skill headed towards 30, let them.
