Portland Trail Blazers: Assessing Anfernee Simons’ offseason workouts with Darren Collison

The Portland Trail Blazers are banking on a big Year Three from up-and-coming guard Anfernee Simons. This offseason, he’s been putting in the work with former NBA guard Darren Collison.

Among the many question marks on this Portland Trail Blazers roster, second-year guard Anfernee Simons may be the most enigmatic of them all. Despite brimming with offensive potential, there’s uncertainty as to if Simons is better suited as an off-ball two-guard, or if he’s capable of quarterbacking the Blazers’ second unit.

It appears the 21-year-old is preparing for both scenarios. Earlier this week, a video surfaced per Pro’s Vision, showing Simons dedicating time to the gym to work with former NBA point guard Darren Collison.

Offseason workouts — unless you’re watching Carmelo Anthony, and he’s wearing a hoodie — aren’t to be overreacted to. But, a closer look at some of the drills the two were pushing through were reflective of that of a pure point guard. One drill caught my eye, with Simons taking a right-side pick-and-roll, before swinging passes across the court with his right hand.

Among a few noteworthy others: fadeaway buckets in the mid-post, fighting through screen drills, and non-dominant hand passes across the shoulder. It’s the type of pass Simons would make if, say, he ran a ball-screen to his left, and needed to take advantage of a quick double team.

Quietly, Simons has been making improvements to his game, but you wouldn’t quite know it, assessing how impatient some observers have been with him. Working with Darren Collison would allow him to tap into some of the pure point guard chops that add another dimension of this game.

The move certainly figures to do the Trail Blazers guard well. In his playing days, Collison was one of the most reliable, consistent mid-tier point guards of his time. Collison averaged double-figures in all ten seasons of his career, finishing with averages of 12.5 points and 5.0 assists per game on 47-39-85 percentage splits.

If Collison’s techniques rub off on Simons and add to his efficiency and quick decision-making, Simons and fellow young stud Gary Trent Jr. could be anchoring one of the league’s best bench mobs in the NBA.