https://theathletic.com/2138415/202...is-year-is-going-to-be-big/?source=dailyemail some quotes: Anfernee Simons admitted he’s online quite a bit, so there’s a good chance he has seen your opinion about his second season with the Trail Blazers. “You know, I’m on Twitter a lot, so I see everybody saying, ‘Oh, we thought you were going to have this great year,'” Simons said. “And I’m like, uhhhh … y’all thought I was going to be Lou Will this year or something? Where I average 20? That’s kind of unrealistic right now “I know people say my rookie year was a learning year, but I feel like last year was more of a learning year than my rookie year,” Simons said. “My rookie year was like learning stuff off the court — how to be a pro — and last year was learning how to play basketball in the NBA and how to be consistent at it. “People are going to have their opinions,” he said. “I can only control what I can control and get better and continue to try and be the best player I can be.” He said part of that “refocus” was expanding the lens through which he viewed the game. He had centered so much of his concentration on scoring but realized if he looked more to pass, it would help his scoring. “Seeing the passing plays — that’s probably the No. 1 thing I need to work on,” Simons said. “I was looking at that a lot in the bubble in our practices. Just trying to see the whole court and not looking to score the whole time. I saw in the bubble that when I would see the passing play, it would open me up more to score. So being able to see the passing plays, and able to see how the defense moves before it happens, and making the right play each and every time — I think that will open things up more for me offensive In July, Simons started Be A Light, a foundation that aims to reach at-risk children and young adults by providing mentors, career-development programs and other family support and education services.
However like seemingly most of our team the thing he doesn't mention working on at least in this interview is defense. Ant looks lost on D and that has to change. CJ on the other hand is bad at defense and therefore doesn't seem to give a fuck about it. In some ways I would say that makes CJ more self aware than Ant, at least on one side of the floor.
Well that is fucking sad because he doesn't play with the intensity on that end that would suggest that he's even trying to be good. He's a shitty defender and everyone should know that. Maybe in CJ's mind he would be a good defender if he was next to an elite defender... or maybe CJ is just totally delusional.
As has already been pointed out. Not a word about defense. That should be the only thing he is working on right now.
yeah, he needs to work on his bread and butter first and foremost. Defense comes with experience anyway. Guys that come in and defend immediately are either specialists or stars.
My first reaction: if Simons was that self-aware he would have invested a couple of seasons learning the game at a top college program. My second reaction: maybe he was self-aware enough to realize that college ball would have exposed him and killed his chances of being drafted.
This is silly. Anfernee was a gifted teenage baller who could jump straight to the pros and make millions instead of making millions for some college where he could've got injured. You don't know what you can't do at the next level until you're put into that situation. Teenagers literally don't have brains wired to be self-aware.
Fair enough and i agree to a point. My thinking is he can bring offense already but he is so very bad on defense he becomes unplayable. That makes it very tough to bring any positive offense he might be able to apply to a game. IMHO he needs to improve on defense to stay in the rotation.
I think Simons can be good defender but he up to high in stance majority of the time. But he actually moved his feet pretty well but his biggest weakness is his strength has to get stronger.
