<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/the-massive-improvement-sparking-anfernee-simons-long-awaited-breakout-season.jpeg"></figure><h1>The massive improvement sparking Anfernee Simons’ long-awaited breakout season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-11-09T14:04:56-08:00">November 9th, 2:04pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-11-09T14:04:56-08:00">November 9th, 2:04pm</time><address><a>Jack Winter</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Election</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Anfernee Simons introduced to himself a global audience at last season’s All-Star Weekend, living up to years of local hype by being crowned champion of the slam dunk contest. But what Portland Trail Blazers fans have always known about Simons was surely surprising to those who’d only grown familiar with him from his stunning aerial exploits.</p><p>As jaw-dropping a leaper and overall athlete as he was, Simons didn’t put those unbelievable physical tools to much use in games with the Blazers. He played more like Buddy Hield than De’Aaron Fox over his first three years in the league, relegated to the role of shooting specialist under Terry Stotts as Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum dominated on-ball duties for Portland. It’s not like Simons had shown he was worthy of more responsibility or greater freedom within the Blazers’ offense, either. He was clearly most comfortable as a marksman, barely even hinting at the off-dribble explosiveness that normally comes with his exceptionally rare leaping ability.</p><p>It was fair to be skeptical of <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/1-pleasant-surprise-who-stood-out-for-trail-blazers-during-2021-training-camp/">glowing reviews</a> about Simons’ play in training camp before the regular season tipped off. Rip City had been prepped for his breakout campaign by team officials and teammates alike since 2019, with Simons providing basically nothing to support it other than tightening his jumper.</p><p>Plus three-point shooters off the catch <i>and </i>dribble are very valuable, but Simons eventually growing into that distinction was the low bar for his ultimate development when the Blazers took him with the 24th overall pick of the 2018 draft. His ceiling was always going to be decided by what Simons became off the bounce, and for years there’s been little indicating it’d be anything more than an ancillary playmaker who could bring the ball up in a pinch—at least until the first three weeks of 2021-22.</p><p>Simons has been the most pleasant surprise of a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/3-encouraging-signs-for-damian-lillard-and-the-blazers-amid-chaotic-start-to-2021-22/">chaotic start for Portland</a> this season, establishing himself as one of the league’s most consistent, productive and efficient bench scorers. His 14.0 points per game and borderline 50/40/90 shooting splits have gotten the most attention, but even more encouraging about Simons’ early performance this season are the <i>massive</i> strides he’s taken as a penetrator and finisher.</p><p>Simons is averaging 4.9 drives per game, according to <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/">NBA.com/stats</a>, an easy career-high coming out to a per-minute rate better than Norman Powell’s. He’s also shooting 59.3% on those forays to the rim, not just another personal and team-best, but the <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/drives/?CF=DRIVES*GE*40&amp;Season=2021-22&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;PerMode=Totals&amp;sort=DRIVE_FG_PCT&amp;dir=1">sixth-highest mark</a> in the entire league. Simons is finishing better on drives than Kevin Durant and Luka Doncic; one more make and he’d rank above Giannis Antetokounmpo. His 16 baskets off penetration are already more than half his total from all of last season, when Simons shot an ugly 39.7% on drives.</p><p>Those numbers paint a vivid picture of Simons’ growth finishing on the move, but are still less instructive than the eye test. His first score of the season was arguably the most impressive take of Simons’ career before opening night.</p><p>That swooping hook finger roll wasn’t an anomaly. Simons has since proven it’s a reliable weapon in his deepening bag of finishes.</p><p>It’s not just Simons’ increasing versatility scoring around the basket that’s made such a difference, though. All of that progress wouldn’t mean much at all if he didn’t couple it with a newfound ability to get to the rim in the first place.</p><p>Simons just didn’t have the understanding of angles, ball-handling prowess or comfort with his off-hand needed to do this to defenders like Avery Bradley and Dwight Howard before 2021-22.</p><p>Paul George and Ivica Zubac aren’t exactly defensive liabilities.</p><p>Simons has begun leveraging his physical tools and budding package of dribbling and finishing skills in transition, too.</p><p>Ten games isn’t a big enough sample size to draw meaningful conclusions on individual player numbers. Simons probably won’t finish around the basket better than Durant or Doncic, for instance. But considering just how limited he was in that capacity a year ago, even 50 percent shooting from the restricted area would be a boon for Simons given the added frequency with which he’s getting there.</p><p>Simons’ maturation as a passer has been a bit slower to come by. He’s more comfortable making plays for others than he’s ever been, especially working in pick-and-roll, but still has a relatively rudimentary means of manipulating defenses to find open teammates with his eyes and changes of pace. Simons has flashed some additional creativity leaving the ball off to bigs after drawing defenders at the rim, too.</p><p>Obviously, the Blazers would be best off if Simons develops the all-court playmaking ability reserved for quality point guards, especially with Chauncey Billups continuing to experiment with four-guard lineups. Imagine just how much more dynamic those groups would be on offense if Simons made the game as easy on Lillard and McCollum as they do for him.</p><p>But for this season, at least, any steps Simons takes past his current level of play offensively would be a luxury. He’s already made the necessary ones, proving his long-awaited breakout campaign is real just shortly after tipoff of the regular season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

The massive improvement sparking Anfernee Simons’ long-awaited breakout season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/why-blazers-were-never-going-to-reach-contract-extension-with-anfernee-simons.jpeg"></figure><h1>Why Blazers were never to going reach contract extension with Anfernee Simons</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-10-17T15:17:54-07:00">October 17th, 3:17pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-10-17T15:17:54-07:00">October 17th, 3:17pm</time><address><a>Jack Winter</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>There’s still time for the Portland Trail Blazers to sign Anfernee Simons to a contract extension. The league-wide deadline to ink fourth-year players still on their rookie contracts to an extension is October 18th, two days before Simons and the Blazers host the Sacramento Kings at Moda Center in the 2021-22 season opener.</p><p>But the powers that be didn’t wait for Monday to come and go before leaking to <i>The Athletic’s</i> Jason Quick what had long been obvious to anyone paying attention. Portland and Simons wouldn’t come to terms on a new contract before the deadline, ensuring he’ll hit the restricted free agent market next summer.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Anfernee Simons and the Trail Blazers are not expected to reach an agreement on a contract extension before Monday’s deadline. The Blazers want to see a larger, more consistent body of work and Simons believes he can enhance his market under the tutelage of coach Chauncey Billups</p><p>— Jason Quick (@jwquick) <a href="https://twitter.com/jwquick/status/1449475464574107648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">October 16, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>The writing was on the wall here dating back months, even once it became clear last season that Simons wouldn’t breakout to the extent optimists believed he would. Simons still took meaningful strides in 2020-21, his third NBA season, especially as a shooter. He finally lived up to his pre-draft billing as a true marksman, shooting 51.4 percent on catch-and-shoot threes—third in the league, per <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/catch-shoot/?Season=2020-21&amp;SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;CF=CATCH_SHOOT_FG3A*GE*2.0&amp;sort=CATCH_SHOOT_FG3_PCT&amp;dir=1">NBA.com/stats</a>—and connecting on 46 off-dribble triples, more than he made over the two previous seasons combined.</p><p>Simons shot a middling 33.6 percent on those pull-up tries, and 40.6 percent from two overall—the latter an easy career-low. He made little to no progress as a finisher at the rim and from floater range, also struggling to prove his bonafides as a secondary playmaker. Simons showed flashes of newfound comfort running pick-and-roll, but not near enough dynamism to play point guard full-time. His defensive improvement, especially late in the season, was notable, but more a reflection of how far behind Simons was on that end compared to typical rotation players than one he’ll ultimately develop into a positive defender.</p><p>Simons enters 2021-22 entrenched in the Blazers’ rotation. His trajectory from here, though, remains very much a question mark in both directions, the biggest reason why it never made sense for player nor team to seriously consider a contract extension as opposed to revisiting a possible deal in restricted free agency.</p><p>Portland will have the opportunity next summer to match any competing contract Simons signs. The Blazers will have the option of retaining Simons irrespective of price, and the more they’re forced to pay him, the happier they should be. Simons has the best chance of any young player on his team to develop into a game-changer. If he thrives co-running the second unit with C.J. McCollum and starts putting his rare athleticism to regular use as a halfcourt penetrator and transition finisher, Portland will suddenly possess a new degree of roster flexibility—key as Damian Lillard’s long-term future still hangs in the balance.</p><p>But the Blazers were never going to pay for that growth before Simons actually proved it beyond training camp, where his performance has been the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/1-pleasant-surprise-who-stood-out-for-trail-blazers-during-2021-training-camp/">talk of teammates and coaches</a>. Likewise, Simons wasn’t going to accept any extension offer befitting his current status as a marginal backup. His qualifying offer for next season is approximately $5.8 million. It would have been unprecedented for Simons to accept an annual salary that wasn’t well into the eight figures, and made just as little sense for Portland to extend him such a contract considering his $11.8 million cap hold for summer 2022.</p><p>Larry Nance Jr. actually signed the cheapest rookie extension in the league over the last half decade, a bargain four-year, $44.8 million contract that declines in average annual value and expires in 2022-23. Rookie-scale extensions just aren’t agreed to on terms that might mave made sense for both Simons and the Blazers. Both sides are better off taking the relative risk of restricted free agency, maximizing Simons’ earning potential and mitigating Portland’s downside of overpaying.</p><p>Here’s hoping Simons plays well enough this season to make the decision on parameters of his next contract just as easy for he and the Blazers.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Blazers were never to going reach contract extension with Anfernee Simons

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/3-ways-anfernee-simons-can-take-the-leap-for-blazers-in-2021-22.jpeg"></figure><h1>Three ways Anfernee Simons can take the leap for Blazers in 2021-22</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-09-30T13:48:48-07:00">September 30th, 1:48pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-09-30T13:50:28-07:00">September 30th, 1:50pm</time><address><a>Jack Winter</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Anfernee Simons enters 2021-22 coming off a relative breakout season, at least when accounting for the gravity of his struggles over his first two years in the NBA. Fully established as a rotation player with the Portland Trail Blazers now, rookie coach Chauncey Billups is finally affording Simons the opportunity to prove his bona fides as a point guard.</p><blockquote>“Obviously, they know I can score the ball, and they don’t want to take that away from me,” Simons told <a href="https://theathletic.com/2858217/2021/09/29/anfernee-simons-on-new-role-as-trail-blazers-backup-point-this-is-the-chance-right-here/"><i>The Athletic’s</i> Jason Quick</a> of the Blazers’ new coaching staff. “But right now they are kind of opening up my game and seeing what I can do and grow into becoming.”</blockquote><p>Simons’ ultimate ceiling is a popular parlor game in Portland. Some remain enticed by his mouth-watering blend of effortless shooting ability and vertical explosion, still confident he can grow into a star. Others believe Simons lacks the stylistic versatility and overall feel with the ball to be much more than a quality bench player, deep threes and highlight-reel dunks be damned.</p><p>The good news for the Blazers is they don’t need Simons to truly breakout this season. Building on his improvements of 2020-21 and just partially plugging some of the holes in his game will be more than enough for Simons to cement himself as a solid reserve guard for a team that needs it behind Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum.</p><p>Here are three ways Simons can take that leap in 2021-22.</p><h2>Put <i>Any</i> Pressure On The Rim</h2><p>You’d hardly know Simons is the league’s reigning  Slam Dunk Contest champion by watching him play. He had just three dunks last season, one more than the notoriously ground-bound McCollum. That’s a disappointing total for one of basketball’s best leapers, of course, but no doubt one Portland would live with going forward as long as Simons attacks the rim with <i>any</i> sort of regularity.</p><p>Simons averaged 2.3 drives per game last season, per <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/players/drives/?CF=TEAM_ABBREVIATION*E*por&amp;sort=MIN&amp;dir=1">NBA.com/stats</a>,  an unacceptably low number despite his lack of playing time. Rajon Rondo, for instance, not exactly goading aggressive close-outs and still averse to finishing in the paint, came close to tripling Simons’ rate of drives while getting slightly fewer minutes.</p><p>Billups’ movement-based offensive attack will lead to Portland penetrating more frequently by itself, especially as he continues emphasizing the ripples attacking the rim. Simons has the tools to benefit from the Blazers’ updated approach to offense more than any of his teammates, with a lethal jumper and the leaping ability to theoretically play bigger than his size as a finisher. His two-footed preference for jumping limits that perceived potential to finish over or around length in the paint, and Simons has yet to compensate with a viable floater game, shooting 24.4 percent on paint shots outside the restricted area last season.</p><p>Portland would obviously love for Simons to suddenly become a consistent, variable finisher off drives, equally capable of posterizing seven-footers when he has the space to load up, extending around shot-blockers with either hand or avoiding them altogether with floaters. That’s a bridge <i>much</i> too far for what Simons has shown so far in his career, though. For now, simply creasing the paint when he’s run off the three-point line and getting his shoulder past his defender in pick-and-roll will be enough for Simons to become a nightly impact player for the Blazers off the bench, whether his jumper is falling or not.</p><h2>Significantly Increase His Assist Rate</h2><p>Dreams of Simons ever emerging as a good team’s primary ball handler are long gone. He was drafted in 2018 as a combo guard, closer to the mold of McCollum than Lillard, and lacks the ball-handling chops that help the former see and create passing lanes he wouldn’t otherwise. Billups is under no delusion that Simons is ready to play point guard full-time. He’ll be splitting that role with McCollum when Lillard is off the floor, and there’s next to no difference between responsibilities of the nominal point guard and shooting guard in Billups’ offense anyway.</p><p>Simons assisted on 11.4 percent of Portland’s possessions when he was on the floor last season, about half of McCollum’s rate and the same as seldom-used big man Harry Giles’. That number certainly isn’t a positive endorsement of Simons’ playmaking potential, but also deserves context of its circumstances. Simons basically played caretaker for the Blazers’ second unit, his most important job bringing the ball up the floor before feeding McCollum or Carmelo Anthony for rote pick-and-rolls and post-ups.</p><p>Even so, Simons flashed <i>some</i> measure of comfort making plays for others last season on the rare occasions he exercised the freedom to do so. These aren’t high-level reads by any means, but still indicative of meaningful growth in Simons’ ability to break down defenses with the dribble and pass.</p><p>Simons won’t be slicing up defenses anytime soon, obviously. But he can still be more than a glorified shooting and scoring specialist, and Billups’ quick-hitting, read-and-react offense could be the perfect catalyst for Simons to expand his breadth as a passer.</p><h2>Sustain Defensive Intensity</h2><p>The numbers painted Simons as one of the worst defenders in basketball last season. He ranked fifth from last among 250 qualified players in <a href="https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/nba-player-ratings/">FiveThirtyEight’s Defensive RAPTOR</a> and fared even worse in <a href="https://www.bball-index.com/2020-21-lebron-data/">Basketball Index’s Defensive LEBRON</a>. The catch-all defensive metric that accurately gauges a defender’s performance doesn’t exist, but it’s telling that Lillard, Anthony and Enes Kanter ranked in the bottom 25 of both categories. There’s no argument Simons was even a net-zero defensively for Portland last season.</p><p>But like his strides as a passer, Simons took small yet significant ones on defense, too—especially over the last couple months of the regular season.</p><p>Simons’ engagement and intensity ticked up a notch once Terry Stotts made him a fixture of the Blazers’ rotation in March. He wasn’t completely immune from the miscommunication and mental lapses that plagued the entire roster, but Simons also proved he doesn’t have to be a defensive liability. His mind caught up with his arms and feet defensively the more Simons saw the floor, allowing him to make multiple efforts on the same possession and stay scheme consistent while disrupting the offense.</p><p>Portland’s defense will be <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/the-blazers-renewed-commitment-to-defense-wont-fix-their-biggest-problem/">much more active</a> under Billups, relying on weak-side and back-line rotations as two defenders pressure the ball in pick-and-roll. It’s a major adjustment for every returnee, but one Simons—like all of his teammates, actually—is glad to be making.</p><blockquote>“We’re gonna have a more aggressive play style on that end,” he said at Media Day, “and be able to have people play to their strengths, make plays, take risks if they need to, so I’m pretty excited about that.”</blockquote><p>Simons won’t be an individual stopper or consistently impactful help defender in 2021-22. Those descriptions only apply to a select few players his size, and the weight Simons added over the offseason won’t suddenly turn him into Patrick Beverley or Derrick White. Simply becoming an average defender will be more than enough for Simons given his offensive influence. As long as he sustains the edge Billups demands on that side of the ball, anything less would be a disappointment given the subtle progress Simons made a year ago.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Three ways Anfernee Simons can take the leap for Blazers in 2021-22

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Anfernee-Simons-records-crazy-3-point-stat-not-even-Stephen-Curry-was-able-to-do.jpg"></figure><h1>Blazers guard Anfernee Simons records crazy 3-point stat not even Stephen Curry is able to do</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-04-27T20:01:40-07:00">April 27th, 8:01pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-04-27T20:01:40-07:00">April 27th, 8:01pm</time><address><a>Ben Cooper</a>16-year-old junior in high school with hopes of becoming a sports analyst</address><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons set a crazy 3-point stat not even Stephen Curry has done.</p><p>The Golden State Warriors star is regarded as the greatest shooter of all time, but that doesn’t mean he holds all the records. Simons is now tied for the most 3-pointers made in a row in NBA history. This may seem easier than it is, but making <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo/status/1387227335246680066" rel="noopener">13 triples in a row</a> in the NBA is no cake walk.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Portland's Anfernee Simons made his first 9 threes tonight against Indiana before missing his 10th attempt from deep.</p><p>Including tonight, Simons made 13 straight threes over his last 4 games, tied for the longest streak in NBA history. <a href="https://t.co/dGba4nEBXa" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/dGba4nEBXa</a></p><p>— ESPN Stats &amp; Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo/status/1387227335246680066?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">April 28, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Anfernee Simons’ hot shooting was key to the Blazers getting back on track . They were in the midst of a five-game losing streak before the win against the Indiana Pacers. Simons led the game in scoring with 27 and only played in 24 minutes. If he is able to keep up his shooting, it will be vital for Portland moving forward.</p><p>It would be beneficial for the Blazers’ playoff run if they move up to sixth in the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/standings" rel="noopener">Western Conference</a>. As they sit right now, they are in danger of ending up in the play-in tournament. The remaining stretch of games will be critical for Portland, and Simons play could elevate them in this stretch.</p><p>With superstar Damian Lillard shooting inefficiently over the past few games, consistent play from Simons should help keep the Blazers afloat.</p><p>Portland will have a tough road over the next few weeks and it will determine how their playoff run will go.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Blazers guard Anfernee Simons records crazy 3-point stat not even Stephen Curry is able to do

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Damian-Lillard-Anfernee-Simons-Trail-Blazers.jpg"></figure><h1>Damian Lillard reveals his unknown part in Anfernee Simons’ Dunk Contest success</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-03-09T19:38:46-08:00">March 9th, 7:38pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-03-09T19:38:46-08:00">March 9th, 7:38pm</time><address><a>Virgil Villanueva</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Anfernee Simons’ ‘Kiss Dunk’ in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest last Sunday was perhaps the most talked-about throwdown that evening and may have been the main reason for his win. In a recent interview, Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard revealed that he played a key part in prodding Simons to go for the gimmick.</p><p>Per <a href="https://theathletic.com/2434268/2021/03/08/trail-blazers-anfernee-simons-seals-slam-dunk-title-with-a-kiss/?source=user_shared_article">Jason Quick of The Athletic</a>, Simons admitted he has never tried the ‘Kiss Dunk’ in practice. But like any other competitor, he wanted to take the Slam Dunk Contest plum. And his mentor Lillard was ready with some advice.</p><blockquote>“I told him, ‘If you do the kiss dunk—I’ve never seen nobody do that.’ I have to take credit for that. That was my idea to blow a kiss at the rim so people know that’s what he was doing.”</blockquote><p>The 21-year-old Simons, who’s <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/players/anfernee-simons/ae7c0944/stats">having his best year for the Trail Blazers</a>, immediately agreed to Lillard’s tip. Knowing the dangers of trying to kiss the rim, Simons tried putting on a mouthpiece but it didn’t fit. Pressed for time, he just tried his best to sell the effect.</p><blockquote>“In practice, I’ve never actually kissed the rim, but I was like, ‘I’ve got to commit to it.’ So I tried to put a mouthpiece in at the last minute, but it didn’t fit my mouth, so I scratched it and emphasized the smooch face so people know I’m right there next to the rim and I’m trying to kiss it.”</blockquote><p>It’s definitely a nice bit of trivia. It’s good to know that Anfernee Simons trusts Damian Lillard’s instincts. Maybe they should share the NBA Slam Dunk Contest trophy?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Damian Lillard reveals his unknown part in Anfernee Simons’ Dunk Contest success

Jonas Valančiūnas

Daniel Theis

Chris Boucher

D.J. Wilson

Anfernee Simons

Jeremy Lamb

Marquese Chriss

Jalen Brunson

Royce O'Neale

Kyle O'Quinn

Portland Trail Blazers

Career

https://twitter.com/AnferneeSimons/status/1457536911455571971/

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2021-22 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
11.9	2.7	2.1	0.1	0.5

2021-22 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
11.9	2.7	2.1	0.1	0.5

Anfernee
Simons

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