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

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LAS VEGAS, NV – JULY 15: Trey Davis #48 of the Boston Celtics handles the ball against Anfernee Simons #24 of the Portland Trail Blazers during the 2018 Las Vegas Summer League on July 15, 2018 at the Thomas & Mack Center 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) /

Defensive focus

Simons finished his six Summer League appearances averaging 1.0 steals per game, fifth on the team. He had several moments of promise, but brought fans back down to Earth with a few defensive lapses.

One noticeable lapse encapsulating his need to improve came in the matchup versus the San Antonio Spurs. On a missed shot attempt by Olivier Hanlan, Simons got caught ball watching as he waited for his teammates to corral the rebound. Instead, Lonnie Walker IV snuck by and threw down an authoritative putback slam. It was Simons’ job to rise for the rebound or pay attention to his man crashing the glass, but he sacrificed two momentum-shifting points instead.

After being the offensive diva for IMG Academy, the rookie needs to re-adopt his two-way playing abilities. He showed a capacity for defending well thanks to that elite athleticism, but like all rookies, he still has room to mentally improve.

As with catch-and-shoot threes, playing tough defense can earn Simons a spot in the roster. If Stotts continues to stagger Lillard and McCollum, each need a more defensive backcourt-mate to compensate for their struggles with navigating screens.

Baldwin earned his minutes by displaying hard-nose defense – there’s no reason Simons can’t do the same with his length, speed and agility.