Anfernee Simons has the capability of being the Portland Trail Blazers' top player on any given night. His combination of shot creation and shot-making is arguably the best on the roster. Shaedon Sharpe creates more separation to get his shot off, and Jerami Grant shoots the three-ball at a higher percentage, but no one on the Blazers does it better than Simons when you put the two skills together.
Now, in his seventh season, Simons has also become a much better playmaker, hovering around five assists per game in the past two years. But it hasn't always been easy for the Blazers' combo guard. As is the case with other players on Portland's roster, the Blazers haven't done the best job of setting Simons up to succeed throughout his career.
The longest-tenured Blazer on their current roster, Simons entered the league in 2018 as Portland's No. 24 overall pick. He experienced team success with the Blazers as early as his rookie year, with Portland finishing with a 53-29 in 2018-19.
Anfernee Simons' offensive inconsistency was holding the Blazers back
But so much organizational turnover since then has made it more challenging for Simons, as he's had to endure constantly changing rosters, roles, team expectations, and trade rumors. All of those factors have played a role in Simons' inconsistencies on the court.
Simons is a defensive liability as an undersized guard at 6-foot-3, 195 pounds. Because of this, he needs to play great offensively to have a net positive impact on the game. That has been the case at times throughout the season, but not as frequently as the Blazers would like, particularly at the beginning of the season. In November, Simons had five games where he scored under ten points.
It was a glaring problem for the Blazers. The 25-year-old Simons has suddenly become one of the veterans on the roster, and they needed him to be more reliable. But that concern has largely gone away heading into 2025.
That's no longer an issue, as Simons is stepping up for Portland
Although the Blazers lost to the Detroit Pistons 118-115 and surrendered a 22-point lead in the process, Simons is coming off arguably his best game of the season. He recorded a game-high 36 points and nine assists, shooting 14-of-21 from the field and 8-of-12 from deep. His eight-made threes were also a season-high and one away from tying his career-high.
It's not surprising that Simons played so well, given the hot stretch he's been on recently. In the past five games, Simons has averaged 26.8 points and 6.8 assists on a highly efficient 48.5 percent from the field and 49.0 percent from three. That's highly encouraging for a Blazers offense that ranks near the bottom in offensive rating.
A team's offensive consistency is tied to their point guard play. Shooting and playmaking have been problematic for Portland throughout the season, partially because of Simons' struggles. But if the past five games are any indication, that may no longer be an issue.