Blazers: 5 goals for Anfernee Simons to achieve in his rookie season

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LAS VEGAS, NV – JULY 7: Anfernee Simons #24 of the Utah Jazz shoots the ball against the Portland Trail Blazers during the 2018 Las Vegas Summer League on July 7, 2018 at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Off-ball movement

Portland’s offense consists of many off-ball screens to free up shooters on the wings, hence why the team signed several guards who thrive on such opportunities.

More. How Blazers can maximize Terry Stotts' offense. light

If Simons does play as a shooting guard like in Summer League, he’ll find himself attempting a lot of catch-and-shoot threes.

He made a pedestrian 34.6% of his outside shots at the Las Vegas tournament, significantly lower than his IMG Academy percentage (44.9%). Additionally, few of his nine converted threes were quick releases – he generally attempted them off the dribble.

To immediately make an impact on the Blazers offense, Simons must recover his IMG Academy three-point shooting touch and apply it to catch-and-shoot opportunities. The offense needs a guard who can do so consistently, so if the guys above him on the depth chart don’t meet Stotts’ standards, Simons gets his chance and can capitalize on it.

Also, establishing himself as an outside threat forces defenders to run over screens and try to block the passing lane. This opens up a clear path to the paint for Simons to gather the pass, get into the paint, and finish with his elite athleticism (or use that newfound playmaking to find a teammate under the hoop for easy points).