#24 Anfernee Simons

Discussion in 'Portland Trail Blazers' started by TBpup, Jun 21, 2018.

  1. Scalma

    Scalma Well-Known Member

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    Trainer who’s worked with nba guys compared him to Klay. We need shooting. This ain’t the lottery. You take the high upside guy. Good selection by Neil.
     
  2. BrianFromWA

    BrianFromWA Editor in Chief Staff Member Editor in Chief

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    I don't hate the move. Look, for the next 2 years Dame and CJ are getting the lion's share of the guard minutes. We have this dude locked up for 8 if we want. He seems to be able to shoot and pass.... :dunno:
     
  3. illmatic99

    illmatic99 formerly yuyuza1

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    Very fine line between ballsy and stupid. I really hope I'm wrong
     
  4. LuckyShot

    LuckyShot Well-Known Member

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    So... maybe another Shabazz in about 3 years?
     
  5. SlyPokerDog

    SlyPokerDog Woof! Staff Member Administrator

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  6. Labinot41

    Labinot41 Well-Known Member

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    Can't Imagine Dame is Happy about that Pick
     
  7. Wizard Mentor

    Wizard Mentor Wizard Mentor

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    Not a good comp. He's much more athletic than Shabazz.
     
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  8. Wizard Mentor

    Wizard Mentor Wizard Mentor

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    Wrong, Damian was at his workout - likely knew before anyone else.
     
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  9. Pinwheel1

    Pinwheel1 Well-Known Member

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    Can't say I was am impressed with the picks so far .....after the Blazers. We would be pissed about those too.
     
    Last edited: Jun 21, 2018
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  10. Jade Falcon

    Jade Falcon Just to piss you off.

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    You have GOT to be fucking kidding me.

    Someone fire Olshey. Please. Mercy, Paul, MERCY!
     
  11. DaLincolnJones

    DaLincolnJones Well-Known Member

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    I dont know, I have to believe that this is the first draft that I am more excited about other teams picks than ours....
     
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  12. James lamphear

    James lamphear Well-Known Member

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    I don't mind the pick if we can buy a 2nd round to pick either Evans or Musa.
     
  13. tykendo

    tykendo Don't Tread On PDX

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    That's an asinine take. You, nor I, know which players in this draft will be good ,or bad.
     
  14. oldfisherman

    oldfisherman Unicorn Wrangler

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    Nnooòoooooo!

    Who said he can pass?
    His assist to TO ratio is horrible. When he passes.

    He is 6'3" .....in shoes.
     
    Last edited: Jun 21, 2018
  15. Rastapopoulos

    Rastapopoulos Well-Known Member

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    Will high schooler Anfernee Simons turn into an NBA draft steal?
    by Jonathan Givony on (original: http://www.espn.com/nba/insider/sto...-anfernee-simons-crash-2018-nba-draft-lottery)

    Anfernee Simons was born in June of 1999 in Central Florida and named after Orlando Magic superstar Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway. Penny had a son of his own a month later, and he happens to be Simons' teammate at IMG Academy.

    Simons wasn't supposed to end up at IMG, as he graduated high school six months ago and could have enrolled in college. The fact that he decided not to do so will likely significantly change the complexion of his career and possibly his earning potential. With Simons surprisingly eligible for the 2018 NBA draft, he could also shed quite a bit of insight into how pro teams plan to handle the scouting and evaluation of teenage prospects who bypass college, something that will become more and more common should the one-and-done era come to a close.

    To understand why Simons isn't in college right now, it's important to know about his trajectory as a basketball player, as he wasn't anointed a top-10 recruit early in his career, unlike many of his peers in the 2018 high school class.

    Following his sophomore year of high school in 2015, Simons didn't stand out from the pack physically, standing 6-foot with a rail-thin, 150-pound frame that made him severely undersized for a shooting guard, with a streaky jumper on top of that. That summer, he received scholarship offers from the likes of Tennessee Tech, Central Florida, Florida Gulf Coast and South Florida.

    According to Simons, his AAU coach suggested he reclassify from the 2017 high school class to 2018 in order to have an "extra year to get bigger and stronger."

    "I've always been a step behind physically," Simons said this past weekend. "That's why I reclassed originally."

    Simons still graduated with his original high school class after four years -- with good grades, in fact -- but he elected to do an additional post-graduate year at IMG Academy.

    Reclassifying is fairly common, as it gives players such as Simons an extra year of physical maturation and AAU exposure before they enter the college game. Although NBA teams like to get players onto their rosters as early as possible, college coaches prefer older, more experienced players and would gladly build a team of players in their mid-20s as opposed to loading up on teenagers, if they had the option.

    It's somewhat of a loophole in the NBA draft rulebook, as technically the league office can't force a player to enroll in college, but it can insist that he be a year removed from his high school graduating class and turning 19 years old in the calendar year of the draft. Simons fulfills both of those requirements, and thus he is eligible to enter the 2018 draft. This was brought to his attention not long ago and wasn't something he was planning on when he decided to reclassify in 2015.

    "I didn't really think about it," Simons said. "I was set on college. I'm still set on college, but if the opportunity is there and I feel confident in myself that I can do it, I will do it."

    Simons wasn't the most well-known player when he decided to end his recruitment early and commit to Louisville back in November 2016. At the time, he was ranked No. 58 in the 2018 high school class by ESPN and No. 74 by 247Sports. He was still skinny, standing 6-foot-2 and only 165 pounds, but he had begun to make a name for himself with his impressive athleticism and increasingly polished scoring instincts.

    This past spring and summer, Simons catapulted himself into elite prospect territory, growing to a shade under 6-foot-4, filling out to around 180 pounds and developing into arguably the most athletic guard prospect in the high school game. His highlights flooded YouTube as he led the Under Armour Association in scoring, earning an invite to USA Basketball's Junior National team mini-camp and top-10 recruit status, according to the ESPN 100.

    Although far from a finished product, particularly physically, Simons is exactly the type of smooth, quick-twitch, freakishly explosive combo guard prospect that the modern NBA drools over. He can beat opponents off the bounce driving left or right with incredible ease, put his head above the rim on finishing attempts and cover a huge amount of ground defensively.

    More than just a gifted athlete, Simons is a versatile offensive player who can put the ball in the basket in virtually every way you hope from a guard prospect. He's an excellent ball handler and a big-time shot-maker off the dribble. He has range well beyond the 3-point line and is a capable passer who moves the ball ahead unselfishly and frequently finds teammates in drive-and-dish situations.

    Simons has hit 43 percent of the 153 3-point attempts we have logged in our database, as well as 82 percent of his free throws. His jumper is somewhat unconventional due to his low release, but he gets it off so quickly and is so polished in creating separation from defenders with sharp step-backs, polished footwork and super soft touch that it isn't hard to see him continuing to develop this part of his game.

    Like many prospects in his mold, Simons' ability to get his own look whenever he pleases can lead to some difficult shot selection at times. His propensity for taking long 2-pointers will likely need to be reined in at the next level, and developing his vision off the pick-and-roll will probably be the next step in his evolution as a combo guard. Simons' lack of strength often hampers him from finishing the myriad shots he can create for himself inside the paint, and even though he has very soft touch on his floaters, scouts will want to see him continue to add bulk to his lanky frame and become more physical in drawing fouls and playing through contact.

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    Rookie Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell gave Simons a ringing endorsement when asked by ESPN's Mike Schmitz about what he has seen from the former Louisville commit this fall:

    "He's talented," said Mitchell, a close friend of Simons'. "He can score at all three levels. The main thing I talk to him about is just defense because scorers are easy to come by. Scorers who play defense aren't. I've been talking to him a bunch. I wish him the best of luck. He's just a talented kid, athletic. Knows where to be, knows the game, and I think that's rare to find in a kid that age. He has a bright future."

    Simons' defense is indeed a work in progress, which is not uncommon for gifted scorers his age. His lack of bulk certainly affects him on this end, but his 6-foot-8½ wingspan and impressive quickness give him plenty of upside to grow into.

    "I've been trying to push myself to play defense," Simons said. "You really need to play defense to stay in the game." He mentioned "consistency and effort" as two focal points for him to improve.

    NBA teams have been scrambling to get a copy of IMG's schedule, and some have already circled their mid-January matchups in New York City and at the HoopHall Classic as potential evaluation settings.

    Simons has plenty of time to decide what his next move will be, as the NBA draft early-entry deadline isn't until April 22. The Nike Hoop Summit (held in Portland the week of April 7) could be his coming out party for NBA GMs -- if he's invited -- as it's one of the most heavily evaluated events of the scouting calendar, routinely drawing more than 150 executives for the practices, scrimmages and actual games. There's a history of (mostly international) players using the Hoop Summit as a springboard to the NBA draft, as the likes of Dennis Schroeder, Livio Jean-Charles, Bismack Biyombo, Enes Kanter and Dante Exum saw their stocks skyrocket virtually overnight after strong showings in Portland.

    Simons is debuting on our top-100 at No. 19. In what is shaping up to be a fairly weak guard class, he could be an interesting upside play for a forward-thinking NBA playoff team, as a year in college could boost his stock well out of their reach. On the other hand, the 2019 NBA draft class is looking to be one of the weakest we've seen in some time, so Simons could very well elect to take his time and head to college.

    "It depends if you are ready or not," Simons said. "Some young guys, they make the league, but they aren't mentally ready for all that stuff. You have to be mentally ready to play in that big stage. I can see myself going to the combine, if I have enough teams to actually invite me or recommend me for the combine and enough teams that want to bring me for workouts. I really need to hit the weight room hard and get a little stronger."


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  16. blue9

    blue9 Well-Known Member

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    So we're basically doubling down on Dame/CJ. Or would it be tripling down:
    • Dame/CJ
    • Dame/Simons
    • Simons/CJ
    Terry must be ecstatic that he doesn't have to do any actual work.
     
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  17. riverman

    riverman Writing Team

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    that's not going to be a rookie..they want a vet wing
     
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  18. BonesJones

    BonesJones https://www.youtube.com/c/blazersuprise

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    I'm not a huge fan of the pick but he's nothing like Nolan Smith.
     
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  19. BonesJones

    BonesJones https://www.youtube.com/c/blazersuprise

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    Chandler Hutchison.... Mikal Bridges....
     
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  20. riverman

    riverman Writing Team

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    We need bench scoring badly...and someone with a quick first step and handles...Simons fits that bill. We have Wade Baldwin as well..we'll be fine
     
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