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Portland Trail Blazers: It’s time for Anfernee Simons to shine

By Stevie Cozens

LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 07: Portland Trail Blazers Guard Anfernee Simons (1) reacts to a call during a NBA game between the Portland Trailblazers and the Los Angeles Clippers on November 7, 2019 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 07: Portland Trail Blazers Guard Anfernee Simons (1) reacts to a call during a NBA game between the Portland Trailblazers and the Los Angeles Clippers on November 7, 2019 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Second-year guard Anfernee Simons had a big start to the season but cooled off over the last few months, can he shine in the Portland Trail Blazers race for the playoffs?

Anfernee Simons is going to develop into a great scoring guard in the NBA. But the Portland Trail Blazers need him right now, five games out of the playoff race this is the time for him to step up and show how much he has grown since year one.

He started off the year with a bang, be it a few standout performances or some big shots down the stretch, he showed he will be a big part of this team moving forward. After a slow middle part to the season he seems to be back in stride for February. Simons is such an important part of this team, so they need him rolling over this playoff push.

Simons is so important because of the way he plays, he is an explosive athlete who can push in transition, make plays at the rim and put pressure on the defense. The Blazers don’t have anyone else like him on the roster. His youthful energy combined with second-year guard teammate Gary Trent Jr is exactly what’s needed over the next few months.

Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum have both shown signs of fatigue after a tough season where they have shouldered massive usage and minute loads. Simons is young with not a lot of NBA minutes on his clock. He does struggle for consistency with his shot but some players are just like this.

Simons may be a streaky shooter moving forward but this just means he needs to use his otherworldly athleticism to vary his shot profile. He gets to the midrange a lot and shoots a respectable 40 percent from this distance.

But Simons has some real hops and needs to use this and his first quick step to get to the rack more often. Opponents respect his shot from inside and out so he needs to look to attack close-outs more and then get all the way to the rim.

His rim volume is low as he isn’t big at attacking through contact. With NBA conditioning and strength training though we should see him attacking through contact more.

If he can push the ball more in transition from live rebounds and / or steals then he will have more opportunities for pull-up threes and drives to the rim. With the attention that Damian Lillard and then CJ McCollum with the second unit attract he will have plenty of opportunities.

Simons will now have a massive opportunity at the end of February with Lillard out injured. Lillard may miss four games giving Simons the chance to run the second unit for large periods of time. He should look to set up others more if he has the chance, his recognition has improved this year but he still needs to be looking for the extra pass or for open teammates if he is guarded closely.

Simons is still so young and it would be unfair to expect 20 points a game from him, but this stretch is so key for the fortunes of the team this year. Even if he doesn’t average 15 points a game from here on out, it would be great to see him utilise better shot selection and decision-making.

Rebounding should also be a focus in the unofficial second half of the season after the All-star break. Yes, Simons doesn’t have a huge frame, but he has the athleticism where he should be able to grab a lot more rebounds than he is currently getting. Players like Chris Paul and Stephen Curry aren’t the most athletic but both figure highly in guard rebounding ranks due to their smarts and aggressiveness in pursuing the ball.

Simons defense is still a work in progress but he has all the tools he needs to be a plus defender. It sometimes takes young guards longer to be plus defenders in the NBA so fans will need to patient with him on that end.

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Simons should see Lillard’s injury as a chance to stake a claim for more minutes on this team. Trent has been getting more of Simons minutes recently due to his superior shooting and improving defense. There’s no reason that Simons can’t get some of this playing time back with a strong showing over the next week or two. He is a massive part of this team’s future so he needs to take this opportunity with both hands.