Despite just entering his prime at 25 years old, Anfernee Simons has found himself in the challenging position of being one of the veterans on a rebuilding Portland Trail Blazers roster. Somehow already in his seventh season, Simons recently jumped to third on Portland's all-time three-point leaders, passing Wesley Matthews. It feels like yesterday that he was selected No. 24 overall in the 2018 NBA Draft.
Since then, he's endured many highs and lows with the Blazers -- from a Conference Finals run to the Damian Lillard trade saga and a complete roster overhaul. The organizational instability has visibly taken a toll on Simons, as it would on just about any player.
Anfernee Simons' inconsistent play linked to Blazers' organizational instability
The constant changes to the Blazers' roster and the uncertainty about its future, with Simons himself a trade candidate, have made it difficult to find his rhythm. His numbers are down this season, averaging 17.7 points and shooting 33.5 percent from beyond the arc, the second-lowest three-point efficiency of his career.
An article recently published by Jason Quick of The Athletic covered the mental aspect of Simons' inconsistent play more in-depth.
Simons was candid in the piece, sharing, "It's been hard as hell. I have my bad days. I'm like anybody else. I call them my 'human days,' when I let things get to me a little bit. Obviously, it has had an effect on my game. That's what I'm trying to get out of."
Simons has been the most volatile player on the Blazers this season, playing in 30 games so far. In eight of those games, he scored ten or fewer points. On the flip side, he's also had 25 or more points in eight of them.
Ideally, you'd expect more consistency from a starting point guard who's suddenly become one of the veterans on a rebuilding roster. But in sports, it's easy to demand perfection without considering the human side of athletes.
Simons' recent stretch shows promise for much-needed consistency
The good news is that Simons may be turning a corner heading into 2025. He's scored at least 22 points in his last three games, making four three-pointers in each game and shooting 44.4 percent from deep during that stretch.
Here are his stats from those games:
- Jan. 2 at Lakers: 23 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals on 8-of-17 shooting from the field, 4-of-9 from three
- Dec. 30 vs. 76ers: 25 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds on 9-of-18 shooting from the field, 4-of-10 from three
- Dec. 28 vs. Mavericks: 22 points, 8 assists, 4 rebounds on 8-of-18 shooting from the field, 4-of-8 from three
It's a small sample size, so hopefully, Simons keeps the momentum going. The Blazers are one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the league, and they desperately need his shooting. But even more importantly, they need his consistency.