The Portland Trail Blazers bounce back big time and trounce the Grizzlies

Anfernee Simons could outplay the Portland Trail Blazers budget for this summer

Anfernee Simons has been one of the brightest spots in the Blazers early season so far. He’s making a serious case for Most Improved Player of the Year.

He’s now averaging 14.5 points, two assists, and shooting 53 percent from the field, all of which are career highs.

Over the offseason, he’s drastically tightened up his handle, learned to attack the rim with consistency, and has become a legitimate combo guard. He’s also moving his feet well on defense, a characteristic that did not exist for Ant in years past.

With Dame and CJ struggling in the first-half, Simons put the offense on his back and led the Blazers in scoring to go into the intermission with 14 off the bench. He finished with 17 on a scorching 60 percent shooting, including 5-7 from beyond the arc.

Once the Blazers star backcourt starts clicking at the same time and Norman Powell returns, having the young duo of Simons and Nassir Little coming off the bench together will provide one of the most promising reserve units that Portland has had in a long time.

Simons is an improved layup package, some added weight, and an increase in opportunity away from legitimate stardom.

We’ll see how much Ant can continue to improve this season. If he can sustain or even surpass his current level of play, there’s no reason he shouldn’t contend for the MIP award.

Simons is up for a new contract this summer and if he keeps this up, a rebuilding team could outbid Portland for his talents.