4 parts of his game Anfernee Simons must elevate to become an All-Star

Area of improvement #2: Secondary playmaking

Until Dame hangs up his shoes or decides to seek greener pastures outside of the Pacific Northwest, Simons’ role on the team will be the secondary creator.

While Lillard stirs the drink of the offense, something he does at an elite level, it’s up to Simons to either run the second unit’s offense and steady the ship or make plays off of a bent defense from Dame.

Part of this secondary playmaking is scoring, which Simons has no problem with right now. Where he needs to evolve, however, is his potency as a passer. With his quickness and burst to get into the lane, he has the tools to be a prolific assistant to the rest of the team. He just needs to put it all together.

When given the chance to handle the ball, Simons shows an adept understanding of timing, change of speed, and change of direction when picking defenses apart. Here, he’s able to force the Nets into a help rotation, opening up an easy look from the corner:

For Simons to take that next step toward stardom, he needs to be a more impactful creator for others. His four assists a game was a career-high, but it’s still a bit below the prowess of other secondary creators like Jaylen Brown, Jordan Poole, and Jamal Murray, to name a few.

If Simons can become a consistent threat to not only score but set up teammates in their preferred spots, he’ll be able to take the Blazers from a good offensive team to one that could one day rival the Denver Nuggets or Sacramento Kings.