Injured his thumb during the first match of the season, Anfernee Simons has been champing at the bit on the Blazers bench in recent months, helpless in the face of several dark series of eight and seven defeats.
Precisely, Tuesday evening, Portland hosted Phoenix to try to end an ugly series of seven consecutive losses. A mission accomplished largely thanks to Anfernee Simons, author of a convincing second half, for 17 of his 23 points, plus 7 assists and 3 rebounds.
Not to spoil anything, the former student of Damian Lillard took care to seal the fate of the match with a floater while “hangtime” in the last seconds (109-104). And this, two days after a match where he scored all of his 24 points in the second half against the Warriors…
Already in its 6th season!
“You have to try things and therefore make mistakes to be comfortable in these situations and understand them well”he explains to Rose Garden Report. “I watched a lot of video of the best players on other teams and all the defenses they faced. In general, they don't focus too much on defense and they play their game. In this case, if two defenders are sent to me, I will dribble, or I pass down low. I don't think twice about it. »
In his sixth season at the club, Anfernee Simons has experienced all stages of development. At 24 years old, “Ant” is a veteran of the locker room. It is simply the oldest.
“When my shots don’t go in, I don’t get as frustrated anymore”
After having long been the disciple of Damian Lillard but also CJ McCollum, Anfernee Simons is in turn the one who distils advice to the youngsters, the next generation: Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson.
This also comes with some benefits. Like being able to miss a half. Without having to go out and squat on the bench for the second… As was the case a few years ago.
“It’s a new mentality for me, knowing that I have time to get into my game. I try to get everyone involved at the start of the match. At the moment, my shooting is upside down but I'm happy with my progress because, in the past, I disappeared as the match progressed and I was no longer effective at all [en fin de match]. Now I can stay calm in these moments. When my shots don't go in, I don't get as frustrated and I maintain confidence. And [hier soir], the shots came in at the right time! »
| Anfernee Simons | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2018-19 | POR | 20 | 7 | 44.4 | 34.5 | 56.3 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 3.8 |
| 2019-20 | POR | 70 | 21 | 39.9 | 33.2 | 82.6 | 0.4 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 8.3 |
| 2020-21 | POR | 64 | 17 | 41.9 | 42.6 | 80.7 | 0.2 | 2.0 | 2.2 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 7.8 |
| 2021-22 | POR | 57 | 30 | 44.3 | 40.5 | 88.8 | 0.5 | 2.2 | 2.7 | 3.9 | 1.9 | 0.5 | 2.0 | 0.1 | 17.3 |
| 2022-23 | POR | 62 | 35 | 44.7 | 37.7 | 89.4 | 0.3 | 2.3 | 2.6 | 4.1 | 2.3 | 0.7 | 2.1 | 0.2 | 21.1 |
| 2023-24 | POR | 7 | 33 | 45.2 | 35.6 | 97.4 | 0.9 | 2.1 | 3.0 | 5.6 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 2.7 | 0.1 | 25.7 |
| Total | 280 | 24 | 43.4 | 38.6 | 86.5 | 0.3 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 0.1 | 13.0 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
