A third straight 30-piece from guard Anfernee Simons has proven the difference, as his Trail Blazers toppled the high-flying Grizzlies 123-119 in Memphis yesterday to extend their win streak to four.
Jusuf Nurkić added 32 points of his own to go along with 8 rebounds, whilst the newly-acquired Josh Hart had 22 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists.
A 44-point, 11-assist effort from Grizzlies All-Star Ja Morant proved to be in vain, as Portland snuck away with the victory.
The Blazers looked destined to plunge further down the standings when they traded C.J. McCollum, Norm Powell, Robert Covington and Larry Nance, Jr. prior to the deadline. With star guard Damian Lillard likely sidelined for the remainder of the season due to abdominal surgery and several of their primary contributors now elsewhere, Portland’s outlook for the season appeared bleak at best, with many expecting them to shift their focus towards the draft.
An Anfernee Simons carry-job, however, has put a pin in that plan for now, with the 22-year-old lighting it up since the new year. Drafted straight out of IMG Academy – a basketball factory in Florida – in 2018, Simons has shown flashes since entering the league but, this season, has made a leap few anticipated.
Since the start of the new year, Simons has put up 23.6 ppg and 6.1 apg, hitting 41.8% of his 10.6 threes per contest in 36.1 minutes per night. Few players in the league possess the three-point shot-making ability he does; on the season, Simons is shooting 7.6 threes per game on 40%. Only three other players match those marks – Patty Mills, Fred VanVleet, and Lonzo Ball.
The rise of Simons alters Portland’s outlook considerably. Like many young guards, Simons’ struggles on the defensive end are well-documented, but the sheer amount of elite shot-making that a backcourt of he and Lillard provides moving forward is very enticing.
The moves made this off-season hold the key for Portland as they wander into a potential turning point for the franchise. Regardless, keeping an eye on Simons moving forward is recommended; he can play.
