Anfernee Simons' start with the Boston Celtics has been up-and-down, and that level of inconsistent play is precisely why the Portland Trail Blazers moved on from the combo guard.
He recently had a goose egg in the Celtics' 121-118 win over the Los Angeles Clippers, playing just 12 minutes. Simons wasn't in foul trouble, either; he's just someone who needs to be knocking down shots to make a significant impact. Unfortunately, that hasn't been the case, particularly as of late, as Simons is averaging 11.9 points on 38.1% shooting from the field in November.
Simons remains one of the better shooters in the league. Over the course of the season, those averages should regress to the mean. However, that's because Simons also has these hot-shooting nights that can single-handedly flip the script on a game. The reality is, you never know what version of him you are going to get on a nightly basis.
Anfernee Simons' inconsistency created too much variance for a young Blazers roster
That's not as problematic for the Celtics as they have depth in the backcourt and can rely on starters Derrick White and Payton Pritchard. But Portland didn't have that luxury with Simons on his off nights. They not only used him as a starter but also had him as arguably their best player for a stretch, meaning they relied on him heavily to initiate the offense.
For a young team like the Blazers, the fact that their primary offensive initiator struggled with consistency made the uphill battle even steeper. In Jrue Holiday, Portland finally has that much-needed constant that their youth can rely on to set the table and provide a calming, less sporadic veteran presence.
That's proving to be invaluable for their development, as it gives them one less variable to worry about when refining their own game. We're seeing that firsthand with players like Deni Avdija and Shaedon Sharpe this season, who are having these breakout seasons that are quietly catalyzed by the Simons-Holiday swap.
Say what you will about Holiday's $104 million contract the Blazers owe over the next three seasons, but it's not that much more annually than the $27.7 million the Celtics owe Simons this year. At least with Holiday, the Blazers are paying a premium to get that more reliable service. He's proving to be a more traditional, more consistent point guard than Simons, which is impacting the entire Blazers roster.
Portland sits at 6-7 but has really only had one blowout loss (140 - 116 to Houston). Without Simons in the equation, they have a much higher floor, as they no longer have to wonder if they'll hit enough shots to be competitive that night.