“I think Dame sees Ben Simmons as what Draymond is to Steph Curry” - Shannon Sharpe reacts to reports of Damian Lillard wanting to play with Ben Simmons
NBA fans continue to monitor the situation with the Portland Trail Blazers and Damian Lillard. After an offseason that featured reports hinting Lillard wanted to be traded, the superstar guard reitierated his stance to stay with the organization.
The Portland Trail Blazers (11-14) have struggled to start the season, winning just four of their past 10 games. The Trail Blazers also just made a notable move by firing longtime general manager Neil Olshey on Friday.
As the NBA trade deadline approaches, many wonder if this could be the year the Trail Blazers make a move.
Shams Charania and Sam Amick of The Athletic recently reported Lillard would like the opportunity to play with Philadelphia 76ers star simmons" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Ben Simmons, who is currently holding out for a trade.
Tuesday on "Skip and Shannon: Undisputed," sports analyst Shannon Sharpe spoke about why he believes Damian Lillard would like to play with Ben Simmons.
“I think Dame sees Ben Simmons as what Draymond (Green) is to Steph Curry”
"I think Dame is 31 years of age, he's been in Portland for over a decade, he knows what his ceiling is ... the second round (of the playoffs) ... that's it."
It's been no secret Portland has attempted to surround Lillard with the tools to get the team to the next step, but those approaches haven't worked out. The Trail Blazers have been to the playoffs in each of the past eight years but have lost in the first round five of those seasons. Their best run came in 2019, when Portland reached the Western Conference finals.
Sharpe brought up an interesting point, saying Lillard might want to have a fellow star alongside him who can make his life easier on the defensive end.
Ben Simmons, the former No. 1 pick from Louisiana State University, could be that player. Although he's famous for shying away from shooting, especially from 3-point range, Simmons is an excellent, lengthy defender and has wonderful court vision.
Known as one of the top defensive players in the NBA, Simmons would give Lillard an intelligent two-way player who could make a serious impact defensively right away. Simmons has twice been on the NBA's All-Defensive Team in the four seasons in which he's played.
Lilllard, a six-time All-Star, has spent the majority of his career playing alongside star teammate CJ McCollum. But a potential trade for Simmons would most likely mean McCollum is on the way out.
After Portland struggled to take the necessary steps to turn into a title contender, the time may have come for the team to go in a new direction. Time will tell whether or not that means a new piece to the puzzle will be brought in to better suit Lillard.