The Trail Blazers are scheduled to open training camp Sept. 27 in Santa Barbara, Calif. In the buildup to camp, The Oregonian/OregonLive will take a look at the five biggest storylines that must play out for the team to have a chance of contending during the 2022-23 NBA season, Chauncey Billups’ second as coach.
Previous posts: 1- Damian Lillard must play like an MVP | 2- Jusuf Nurkic must live up to his $70 million contract | 3- Jerami Grant must exceed his play in Detroit.
Today: Anfernee Simons must successfully replace CJ McCollum.
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The Blazers traded CJ McCollum in part to clear a starting job for Anfernee Simons, he got paid and now the fifth-year guard must produce close to the same level as Damian Lillard’s former backcourt running mate did for seven seasons.
Simons periodically flashed moments of brilliance during his first four years in the NBA, raising expectations about what he could become. But along the way, he would slip into a rut and fall deep into, or out of, former coach Terry Stotts’ rotation.
Even by last December under Chauncey Billups, Simons had yet to demonstrate that he could be counted on for long stretches. That month he averaged 10.3 points and shot 33% from the field, while playing 25.7 minutes per game, after injuries forced him into more action.
As it turned out, Simons had been fighting through injuries and, more importantly, had learned that his grandfather was seriously ill. Then, on Jan. 3, two days after his grandfather died, everything seemingly clicked for Simons.
He scored a career-high 43 points that night in a win over Atlanta and shortly after recorded a career-high in assists (11) in back-to-back performances. Simons averaged 23.1 points and 6.7 assists per game in January, then followed by averaging 23.7 points and 4.7 assists in February.
The run ultimately earned him a four-year contract extension worth $100 million and a spot as the starting shooting guard moving forward.
There was no denying that Simons, 23, displayed the shooting touch (40.5% on threes), athleticism, playmaking ability and confidence to warrant belief that he could fulfill the promise that led the Blazers to select him No. 24 overall during the 2018 NBA Draft.
However, there are caveats. The best two months of Simons’ NBA career came with Lillard sidelined after core muscle surgery. Also, the games in which he excelled were mostly meaningless, coming after the team had set out on the fast track toward the NBA lottery.
Now, Simons goes from playing for a contract to starting, playing in games that matter and doing so alongside a 32-year-old Lillard desperate to contend for a title before his prime ends.
Yes, the 6-foot3 McCollum lacked size at the shooting guard position and could be a liability on defense. Nevertheless, he developed into a versatile, savvy veteran scorer who often performed well in high-pressure moments.
Simons might have a higher ceiling given his athleticism. He can get to the basket and finish better than McCollum ever could. What’s missing is evidence that Simons can be relied upon to consistently make plays late in meaningful games.
Defensively, the Blazers find themselves right back in the same situation they were in with Lillard and McCollum in the backcourt as two small guards. Simons, like McCollum, is 6-3. Billups has challenged Simons to elevate his play on defense and he has demonstrated a willingness to give effort at that end of the floor.
Simons is in a very interesting position. He is not only expected to deliver now while playing alongside Lillard, but also to be the franchise’s star of the future.
For the Blazers to contend, they will need Simons to inch closer to being a star-caliber player.
-- Aaron Fentress | afentress@Oregonian.com | @AaronJFentress (Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Facebook).
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