The Portland Trail Blazers traded Anfernee Simons this summer, and in his first few games with the Boston Celtics, he’s begun to work toward making them regret that decision. Portland got back Jrue Holiday in the deal, and he should give them a solid defensive presence, but Simons’ offensive talent remains clear.
In the Celtics’ preseason win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday night, Simons came alive. For the first time this preseason, he showed off exactly what happens when he catches fire from the field, and the result was enough to give Blazers fans a taste of what they will be missing this season.
His three-point shot was money.
Why could Blazers miss Anfernee Simons?
Simons didn’t appear in the Celtics’ first preseason game against the Memphis Grizzlies, but he’s played in the two since then. And in his first game at TD Garden as a member of the Celtics, he showed out.
Against the Cavs, Simons poured in 21 points, two rebounds, two assists, and one steal while shooting 6-of-9 from behind the three-point line. He led the Celtics in scoring despite coming off the bench.
The Celtics have plenty of offensive firepower on the roster already with Jaylen Brown, Payton Pritchard, Derrick White, and Sam Hauser, and Simons only adds to what they have going on.
Through Portland’s first two preseason games, they’ve attempted 42.5 three-pointers per game, which ranks 11th amongst NBA teams. Unfortunately, they aren’t shooting the ball very well, clocking in at just 30.6%.
Obviously, it’s only been a couple of games, and the Blazers have plenty of time to turn their three-point luck around, but they don’t seem to be primed to have a great season from beyond the arc.
Losing Simons could prove to be a bigger offensive issue than most people are talking about. They don’t have a ton of three-point shooting on the roster, and Simons is elite from long range.
He’s proven that early on in the preseason with the Celtics, and though his defensive struggles have certainly been on display a bit as well, his offensive talent has been far more prevalent.
Portland will be developing a defense-first identity this season. At least, that’s what it seems like. And based on how well they played toward the end of last year, it could work out very well for them.
But with how well Simons played against the Cavs in his TD Garden debut, the Blazers could end up missing what he brings to the table.