Rip City Project
Fansided

NBA Draft: Trail Blazers select Anfernee Simons. A project or a game changer?

By Matt George Moore

SPRINGFIELD, MA - JANUARY 14: IMG Academy Ascenders guard Anfernee Simons (3) shoots the ball during the first half of the Spalding Hoophall Classic high school basketball game between the Vermont Academy Wildcats and the IMG Academy Post Grad Ascenders on January 14, 2018, at the Blake Arena in Springfield, MA .(Photo by John Jones/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
SPRINGFIELD, MA - JANUARY 14: IMG Academy Ascenders guard Anfernee Simons (3) shoots the ball during the first half of the Spalding Hoophall Classic high school basketball game between the Vermont Academy Wildcats and the IMG Academy Post Grad Ascenders on January 14, 2018, at the Blake Arena in Springfield, MA .(Photo by John Jones/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

With the 24th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, the Portland Trail Blazers selected an untested and unproven 19-year old, Anfernee Simons.

Heading into Thursday’s 2018 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., the big question surrounding the Portland Trail Blazers was: Will they keep the 24th overall pick and remain one of the youngest teams in the league? Or will they trade it away for veteran talent?

That question was answered at about 7 p.m. PDT when the Blazers selected Anfernee Simons from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.

Simons, listed at 6-foot-3 and 181 pounds, did not attend college. And he’s just 19 years old. But the Blazers were keeping a sharp eye on him leading up to the draft. In fact, Portland worked him out twice — the only player to do so.

But how good will he be?

And how much will he help the Blazers?

And when?

Waiting

Like the lyrics to that old Tom Petty tune, the waiting is the hardest part. And that’s especially true if you’re a Portland Trail Blazers fan.

What have the Trail Blazers been waiting for?

Let us count the waits …

Waiting for the 2017-2018 team to “gel.”

Or waiting for that same team to start winning after a lackluster start to the season.

Waiting for several overpaid and underperforming players to either start performing or stop getting paid.

And waiting for Blazers President of Basketball Operations to finally make a bold move that truly puts Portland on a path to title contention.

Blazers’ Needs

As we’ve written about before, from the outside looking in, the Blazers had a fairly successful season:

"Portland won the Northwest Division and finished third in the ultra-competitive Western Conference. And they won eight more games than they did in 2016-2017, when they snuck into the playoffs as the No. 8 seed. The Blazers’ defense improved, rating among the NBA’s Top 10 — a massive jump from the previous season, when they finished the year at No. 21."

And yet, they were embarrassed in the playoffs, swept away by the New Orleans Pelicans as if they were made out of paper. That series exposed Portland for what it really is: An above-average team that lacks depth and relies far too heavily on just two players — Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum.

More from Blazers Draft

General consensus is that the Blazers need either backcourt backups or a “3-and-D” wing who can play consistent and productive minutes.

Will Simons Play?

Al-Farouq Aminu is a talented defender and a decent three-point shooter — but he’s only averaged 7.5 points per game in his career. That ain’t gonna cut it – not for a starter on a team that wants to be considered championship-caliber.

Evan Turner has played well on defense, but his shooting is inconsistent. Also, his 8.2 points per game last season was the second-lowest of his career.

The Blazers could potentially lose Shabazz Napier to free agency. That leaves Wade Baldwin as a backup point guard. But that’s it. Who else do the Blazers have to handle the ball and run the offense?

Next: Blazers should consider trading CJ McCollum

That’s just a glimpse of some of the holes that Simons — who insists he can play in the NBA right away — will be expected to fill for the Portland Trail Blazers.

Can he do it? Is he a project — or a game changer? Maybe both?

Keep your browser locked on the RCP as we examine this pick moving forward.

Go Blazers!

And welcome, Mr. Simons, to Rip City.