‘Microwave scoring’: Lou Williams
This is something Simons is already pretty good at – coming into a game cold and just turning it on out of nowhere.
However, you can always get better, and there’s not many better than the GOAT Sixth Man, Lou Williams. The back-up guard is averaging 18 points off of the bench for the Clippers this year, and looks set to be a key factor in LA’s championship hopes.
Williams is a wildcard, something (especially the Lakers) do not have. He’ll come in completely cold and torch most second-units in the league, and his scoring puts pressure on the opposition to get their starters back in the game.
I like this study because the sixth man role is something Simons will be occupying on the Blazers for the next few years at least, and he needs to do it well if Portland want to go deep with this roster. Lillard and McCollum are some of the best scoring guards in the league, but they can’t do it for 48 minutes a night. Simons needs to get comfortable coming into the game and just catching fire, something which allows Dame and CJ to sit for longer.