I'm hoping Simon can become a similar player as Pointer with a better shot and handle. If that happens, we are in good shape.
Simon actually taller than Balamou I believe. Balamou' skill set at 6'3" was definitely more PF than guard. Simon, that is not the case.
Simon is Balamou's size. This is the same staff that got excited about the prospect of using Balamou at the 4. Maybe they don't know what the numbers mean?
They were all listed around 6'4 to 6'5 and in the range of 195 to 205. But I don't think Simons game is nothing like Balamou's. He should be that perfect fit in the guard rotation to stick him on the opposing teams guard that has size and play some hard defense with rebounding skills. That's where the Pointer reference was mentioned. How many times did we see Pointer make a key play on the defensive side (block, steal, rebound) that led to some easy transition points? I'm hoping Simon will be that guy.
I think we'd all be thrilled with that but Pointer was bigger and stronger from what I can tell. Pointer played power forward and even center in the BE at 6'5. Justin Simon would have to be one helluva player to be that versatile.
Pointer was scrawny. He didn't even weigh 200 lbs as a senior. Simon already weighed 210 last year. They are also the same height but Simon has longer arms. There is very little doubt Simon could excel at the four in college if he had the right mindset and accepted that role. Almost nobody with his profile does, though.
Agree Simon could probably play some 4 but we legitimately have 6 guys who would be asked to do it first. And I never thought of Dom pointer as scrawny.
That's bec Dom was never scrawny. He had a Big East body as a freshman. His size was never his problem. I don't understand what makes anyone think that Simon could play the 4. Has anyone ever seen him do that?
How would you classify 6'5/6'6 196 as a senior? Skinny? That's certainly not big anywhere outside of St. John's. Trimble is 6'2 and already 200 lbs in high school. Revisionist history puts Dom at 6'7 230. One poster even said he was "much bigger" than 6'7 235 Marvin Clark -- who looks like the freaking hulk.
Everyone follow me carefully on this one, I never said Simon would play PF. That doesn't make much sense when we already have Clark, Yakwe, Wilson, Ahmed, and Alibegovic to play the position and just just four guards. I said he COULD play PF if had the mindset BUT almost nobody with his profile accepts that role. He's 6'5 210 -- already 14 lbs heavier than Dom was as a senior. He's the same height as Dom with a 7'1 wingspan -- bigger than 80-90% of college PFs. He has the athletic ability of a guard. Half of you people said the same things when I suggested Dom's best position in college was PF his freshman through junior years.
In college you can successfully play PF as a guard or SF as long as you create a net positive. That means your perimeter strengths do more damage to your opponent than your weaknesses inside do to your team.