The Portland Trail Blazers have been a solid playoff team, and they have been amazing offensively with the Damian Lillard – C. J. McCollum duo. However, their defense has let them down this season, and perhaps it could be time for a change.
One of the ways that the Portland Trail Blazers could potentially improve their roster is by trading for Ben Simmons, who has been in trade talks virtually all offseason. Ben Simmons could fix the Trail Blazers’ leaky defense, as he was DPOY runner-up.
Even if Ben Simmons is a player who could fix their defensive issues, it seems as though some among the Portland Trail Blazers have concerns about how he would pair with Damian Lillard. According to Aaron Fentress, who featured in an article by Gina Mizell of the Philadelphia Inquirer, it seems as though the concern is both players needing the ball in their hands, and Ben Simmons potentially being forced into an unusual role.
I wrote 2,000 words on why I would trade [C.J.] McCollum for Simmons in a heartbeat. I love the fit for both teams. However, I’ve been told by some within the Blazers organization that they are not sure how well Simmons and Lillard would fit together. Simmons wants to play the Magic Johnson role, which requires having the ball in his hands. Well, that’s Lillard’s job. I could see Lillard playing off the ball more often but in the end, it’s his team and he will want the ball the majority of the time. That would force Simmons to play a role he isn’t used to.
It is true that both Ben Simmons and Damian Lillard are ball-dominant. However, talented players can usually figure out how to play with one another. However, it is true that not all players fit well with one another. While it is definitely easy to understand the concerns, sometimes teams have to take the risk on top-tier talent, and perhaps we’ll see the Trail Blazers do that for Ben Simmons.
