<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/blazers-news-anfernee-simons-stuns-nikola-jokic-nuggets-with-epic-game-winner');   ga('set', 'title', 'Blazers’ Anfernee Simons stuns Nikola Jokic, Nuggets with epic game-winner');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Blazers-news-Anfernee-Simons-stuns-Nikola-Jokic-Nuggets-with-epic-game-winner.jpg"></figure><h1>Blazers’ Anfernee Simons stuns Nikola Jokic, Nuggets with epic game-winner</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-19T21:39:28-08:00">December 19th, 9:39pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-19T21:49:03-08:00">December 19th, 9:49pm</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-3-key-blazers-drawing-trade-interest">Portland Trail Blazers were in cruise control</a> against the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night, taking a 17-point lead into the fourth quarter. But the Nuggets have come from behind on multiple occasions this season, and it looked as though they seized momentum of the game for good after Russell Westbrook swallowed up an Anfernee Simons shot leading to a Michael Porter Jr. dunk that gave Denver a two-point lead. However, it was Simons who had the last laugh, as he <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1869978699220824237" rel="noopener">drained a game-winning floater</a> over Westbrook in isolation just as the time expired to give Portland a 122-120 win.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">ANFERNEE SIMONS CALLED GAME ON RUSSELL WESTBROOK AND THE NUGGETS 🚨</p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/trailblazers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@trailblazers</a>)<a href="https://t.co/Cea2J0q7BJ">pic.twitter.com/Cea2J0q7BJ</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1869978699220824237?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Simons was on point all night long, and he was the no-brainer pick for the Blazers to give the ball to for the last shot of the game. His isolation on Westbrook was eerily reminiscent of <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/paul-george-vs-damian-lillard-a-timeline-of-their-feud">Damian Lillard’s iso against Paul George</a> back in the 2019 NBA playoffs, but this time, Simons drove to the lane and got the step on the Nuggets guard, and all Westbrook could do was flail at the ball to try and swipe it, failing to contest the shot at the apex. This resulted in a pretty easy bucket for Simons who gave the Blazers their ninth win of the season in 27 contests.</p><p>The Blazers breathe a major sigh of relief, especially after Simons slipped in what was a scary moment earlier in the fourth quarter. Simons was making his way to the basket when he slipped on a wet spot near the restricted area, turning the ball over which then led to a Nuggets three-pointer. The 25-year-old guard shrugged off the slip and finished the game off strong, and in the end, he recorded 28 points on 11-20 shooting from the field — a continuation of the trend of good games he’s been having as of late.</p><h2><b>Blazers stave off choke job vs. Nuggets thanks to Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Blazers-Anfernee-Simons-smiling.jpg"><figcaption>© Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>It was apparent in the fourth quarter that the Blazers were a less-experienced team than the Nuggets. They were being outplayed and outhustled, with Russell Westbrook and Jamal Murray leading them back from 17 down to pave the way for Nikola Jokic to try and cement the game for Denver. But Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe did just enough to lead Portland across the finish line as the victor.</p><p>Simons and Sharpe combined for 18 of the Blazers’ 22 points in the fourth quarter, with the latter hitting two free throws following a Jokic loose ball foul to give the Blazers a 122-120 lead. Jokic retaliated with an easy basket on the other end, but they left too much time for the Blazers, setting up Simons’ heroics.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Blazers’ Anfernee Simons stuns Nikola Jokic, Nuggets with epic game-winner

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/blazers-news-anfernee-simons-exits-vs-timberwolves-with-chest-injury');   ga('set', 'title', 'Blazers’ Anfernee Simons exits vs. Timberwolves with chest injury');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Anfernee-Simons-suffers-injury-scare-vsjpg.jpg"></figure><h1>Blazers’ Anfernee Simons exits vs. Timberwolves with chest injury</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-12T20:14:48-08:00">November 12th, 8:14pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-12T20:14:48-08:00">November 12th, 8:14pm</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The past few games have been rough for the Portland Trail Blazers, and it doesn’t seem like there’s much light at the end of the tunnel for <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/blazers-chauncey-billups-calls-out-soft-team-with-loser-take">arguably the league’s worst team</a>. On Tuesday night, the Blazers, who were already missing Deandre Ayton in their NBA Cup opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves, also saw Anfernee Simons have to exit the game early due to a chest injury. Per Blazers PR on X (formerly Twitter), Simons <a href="https://x.com/TrailBlazersPR/status/1856546154768736473" rel="noopener">will not be returning to action</a> later tonight.</p><p>Simons played for just the first five minutes and five seconds of the game before the Blazers had to take him out of the contest as he fell to his knees at around the halfcourt area and appeared to be in serious pain. At first, it was thought of to be a <a href="https://x.com/highkin/status/1856537246205391130" rel="noopener">wrist or hand injury</a>, but it became apparent that the Blazers guard was simply doing his best to catch his breath after suffering what appeared to be a <a href="https://x.com/DannyMarang/status/1856537173333627135" rel="noopener">blow to his chest</a>.</p><p>For a Blazers team looking to bust out of a slump, losing their best outside threat and shot creator does not bode well. Simons also has a history of missing games due to injury; he missed 36 games last season and then 20 before that, and with the Blazers not really playing for anything more than better lottery odds, one would think that Portland will be very cautious in dealing with any injury problem.</p><p>With Simons having to go out of the game early, the Blazers thrust Scoot Henderson into the fray. Henderson, who has been in a bench role to start the season, could have his biggest opportunity of the season yet to stake his claim for a bigger role. Dalano Banton, Rayan Rupert, and Shaedon Sharpe also figure to have more touches of the basketball with Simons out.</p><h2><b>Blazers look to bust out of terrible stretch in a big way</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Scoot-Henderson.jpg"></figure><p>Even with Anfernee Simons out, the Blazers have looked like a much-different team so far through the first half of their Tuesday night contest against the Timberwolves as they lead 60-53 at the half. The team’s bench mob has come to play. Dalano Banton, in particular, has been on point with his shot, scoring 12 points on 4-5 shooting while going perfect from deep on four attempts.</p><p>Robert Williams III also appears to be <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-blazers-center-very-tradable-not-deandre-ayton">back in form</a>; after missing plenty of time over the past few seasons due to recurring injury woes, Williams has been staking his claim for a bigger role in the Blazers’ loaded frontcourt picture. He put up 13 points, five rebounds, one steal, and two blocks in only 11 minutes of play — looking like the Williams of yore who started for the Boston Celtics at center during their run to the NBA Finals in 2022.</p><p>This showing from the Blazers is promising, especially when their past three games have been downright disastrous. They have lost their past three games by a combined 83 points, and that simply cannot fly — even for a rebuilding team. But the NBA Cup appears to have brought the best out of them despite being shorthanded.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Blazers’ Anfernee Simons exits vs. Timberwolves with chest injury

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/magic-news-why-orlando-must-push-for-anfernee-simons-trade-with-blazers');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Magic must push for Anfernee Simons trade with Blazers');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/7670070487.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>Why Magic must push for Anfernee Simons trade with Blazers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-08-01T11:31:04-07:00">August 1st, 11:31am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-08-01T11:31:51-07:00">August 1st, 11:31am</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As the NBA offseason progresses, the Portland Trail Blazers are clearly entering a phase of rebuilding, with key assets like Jerami Grant rumored to be on the move. In this climate of strategic realignment, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/blazer-news-best-anfernee-simons-trade-destinations-as-portland-decide-future">another significant Blazers player</a>, Anfernee Simons, has emerged as a potential trade piece.</p><p>Simons, a highlight in a tumultuous season for the Blazers, has shown he’s a commodity on the trade market. The 25-year-old guard, drafted in the late first round in 2018, has quickly risen to prominence as one of the league’s elite guards. Following Damian Lillard’s trade to the Milwaukee Bucks, Simons stepped up impressively, averaging 22.6 points and 5.5 assists per game while shooting 43% from the field and 38.5% from beyond the arc. With two years and $53.6 million remaining on a team-friendly contract, Simons is a prime target for teams seeking a capable combo guard.</p><h2><b>The Orlando Magic need to acquire Blazers’ Anfernee Simons to bolster their offense</b></h2><p>The Orlando Magic, in particular, stands to gain significantly from Simons’ acquisition. Last season, Orlando faced challenges with its perimeter shooting, finishing at the bottom of the league in three-pointers made and 24th in three-point efficiency. Their offensive struggles were evident as they averaged only 110.5 points per game, ranking 24th in the league, which is unusually low for a playoff team. Despite offseason efforts to enhance their shooting, including the addition of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and the drafting of Tristan Da Silva, the need for a high-caliber scorer like Simons is clear.</p><p>Magic forward Paolo Banchero addressed the team’s needs earlier this offseason when he spoke to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/05/16/paolo-banchero-young-nba-stars/" rel="noopener">Ben Golliver of the Washington Post</a>. “[The front office] wants two-way guys who add to what we already have in terms of our defensive identity, length and versatility. Shooting is a big part of what we need to improve on, whether we go and get somebody or try to develop guys. I don’t know which way they’re going to approach that. And having a guy who can set the table and be reliable. We have a lot of talented guys who can make shots and make plays: me, Franz [Wagner] and Jalen Suggs. I would rather be more of an offensive hub than the point guard, if that makes sense.”</p><p>Simons, who is in the top echelons for shooting efficiency — especially notable with a 47% success rate on wide-open threes over the past three years — fits this bill perfectly. His ability to efficiently drive and score would mesh well with the Magic’s core players like Banchero and Franz Wagner, potentially elevating Orlando’s offensive game significantly.</p><h2><b>Trade dynamics involving a Magic trade for Simons</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Anfernee-Simons-shooting.jpg"><figcaption>© Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>While Simons’ offensive talents are well-documented, his defensive performance, with a defensive rating of 120.5 and a defended field goal percentage of 54.2% last season, suggests room for growth. However, standing at 6’3″ tall with a wingspan of 6’9″, Simons possesses the physical tools necessary for defensive development. In Orlando, which had a<a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/traditional?SeasonType=Regular%20Season&amp;dir=D&amp;sort=PTS" rel="noopener"> defensive rating of 110.8 last season</a>, Simons’ potential as a defender could be realized under the right system and guidance.</p><p>Incorporating Simons poses strategic decisions for Orlando, particularly in terms of lineup choices. With Caldwell-Pope and Jalen Suggs expected to start, Simons might best serve the team as a dynamic bench player initially, providing a significant boost to Orlando’s offensive unit.</p><p>Orchestrating a trade for Simons would require Orlando’s front office to make thoughtful moves. A possible trade scenario could involve sending players such as Anthony Black and Cole Anthony to Portland, along with draft picks, including a 2025 first-round pick from the Denver Nuggets and a 2026 first-round pick (lottery protected). This deal would supply Portland with young assets and future flexibility as they rebuild.</p><p>For Orlando, acquiring a player like Simons could be transformative, particularly in addressing their offensive shortcomings. As the NBA landscape evolves, securing Simons could propel the Magic into stronger contention within the Eastern Conference, showcasing a firm commitment to assembling a versatile and robust team capable of achieving greater heights.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Magic must push for Anfernee Simons trade with Blazers

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/blazer-news-best-anfernee-simons-trade-destinations-as-portland-decide-future');   ga('set', 'title', 'Best Anfernee Simons trade destinations as Blazers decide future');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Best-Anfernee-Simons-trade-destinations-as-Blazers-decide-future.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>Best Anfernee Simons trade destinations as Blazers decide future</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-08-01T11:12:54-07:00">August 1st, 11:12am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-08-01T11:12:54-07:00">August 1st, 11:12am</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Anfernee The Portland Trail Blazers are steering towards an extensive rebuild, evident from the flurry of trade rumors surrounding their key players. While rumors swirl around <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-jerami-grant-blazers-trade-pursuit-has-obstacles">Jerami Grant potentially being traded</a> to the Los Angeles Lakers, another significant piece, Anfernee Simons, is also reportedly on the trading block.</p><p>Trail Blazers <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uaforS0n88" rel="noopener">insider Aaron Fentress</a> indicates that the Blazers are looking to reshape their roster by offloading Simons, who has emerged as a bright prospect after Damian Lillard’s departure to the Milwaukee Bucks. Last season, the 25-year-old guard boasted impressive stats with averages of 22.6 points and 5.5 assists per game, showcasing his sharpshooting abilities by hitting 43% from the field and 38.5% from beyond the arc. With a team-friendly contract of two years and $53.6 million remaining, Simons is an attractive target for teams seeking an adept guard.</p><h2><b>1. Orlando Magic</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Best-Anfernee-Simons-trade-destinations-as-Blazers-decide-future-2.jpg"></figure><p>The Orlando Magic are desperately seeking to enhance their offensive output, especially in perimeter shooting where they lagged significantly last season. The addition of players like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and rookie Tristan Da Silva aims to address this, but Simons could be the key to solidifying their efforts. His proficiency in hitting 47% of wide-open threes over the past three seasons would immensely benefit the Magic’s shooting woes. A potential trade involving young talents such as Anthony Black and Cole Anthony, coupled with future draft picks, could provide the Blazers with the assets needed for a rebuild while bolstering the Magic’s scoring capabilities.</p><h2><b>2. Los Angeles Lakers</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Best-Anfernee-Simons-trade-destinations-as-Blazers-decide-future-3.jpg"></figure><p>Amid their ongoing roster reconfigurations and the potential acquisition of Jerami Grant, the Lakers could further strengthen their lineup by adding Anfernee Simons. His integration would provide a youthful boost and significant scoring ability, complementing stars like LeBron James and Anthony Davis. This move could be crucial in extending the Lakers’ competitive window and easing the transition into the post-LeBron era. The Lakers might offer a package that includes Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, or D’Angelo Russell, along with a future first-round pick, offering immediate value and future assets to the Blazers.</p><h2><b>3. San Antonio Spurs</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Best-Anfernee-Simons-trade-destinations-as-Blazers-decide-future-4.jpg"></figure><p>The Spurs are focused on building a robust team around Victor Wembanyama and new draft pick Stephon Castle, with the addition of veteran Chris Paul being a strategic move. Paul’s historical impact on teams, particularly highlighted by his tenure with the Oklahoma City Thunder where he significantly enhanced Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s performance, suggests he could have a similar influence on Anfernee Simons. This mentorship could unlock Simons’ full potential, making him an even more formidable force in the league. The Spurs could offer Keldon Johnson and a future first-round pick to the Blazers, enriching Portland’s young core and draft assets while solidifying the Spurs’ competitive edge.</p><h2><b>4. Cleveland Cavaliers</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Best-Anfernee-Simons-trade-destinations-as-Blazers-decide-future-5.jpg"></figure><p>Cleveland’s recent playoff performances have been underwhelming, primarily due to inconsistent outputs from the backcourt. Integrating Simons could provide a new dynamic alongside Donovan Mitchell, possibly propelling the Cavaliers deeper into the playoffs. In exchange, the Blazers could look to acquire Darius Garland and additional assets, leveraging Garland’s high potential and playoff experience for their rebuilding phase.</p><h2><b>5. Detroit Pistons</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Best-Anfernee-Simons-trade-destinations-as-Blazers-decide-future-6.jpg"></figure><p>After a dismal season, the Pistons are looking to revitalize their roster with Cade Cunningham at the helm. Simons’ ability to stretch defenses with his three-point shooting could complement Cunningham’s playmaking skills, potentially transforming the Pistons’ offensive strategies. The Pistons might offer Jaden Ivey and future first-round picks, providing the Blazers with promising young players and valuable draft choices while enhancing Detroit’s scoring depth.</p><p>As the Trail Blazers navigate their rebuilding strategy, trading Anfernee Simons emerges as a pivotal move to gather essential assets for future success. Among the potential destinations, the Orlando Magic is most likely to acquire his talents, given their acute need for his sharpshooting abilities to revitalize their perimeter scoring.</p><p>For Simons, the destinations outlined offer promising opportunities to elevate his career in environments where his abilities will be highly valued and can significantly impact team performance. With the Magic, in particular, Simons could play a crucial role in transforming their offense, making it a mutually beneficial arrangement for both him and the team.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Best Anfernee Simons trade destinations as Blazers decide future

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-blazers-expected-trade-jerami-grant-anfernee-simons');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Blazers expected to trade 1 of Jerami Grant, Anfernee Simons');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/NBA-rumors-Blazers-expected-to-trade-1-of-Jerami-Grant-Anfernee-Simons.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Blazers expected to trade 1 of Jerami Grant, Anfernee Simons</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-07-30T09:08:58-07:00">July 30th, 9:08am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-07-30T09:10:12-07:00">July 30th, 9:10am</time><address><a>Brett Siegel</a>Brett Siegel joined ClutchPoints as a credentialed NBA insider and reporter in May 2023 after previously covering the NBA for Fastbreak on FanNation and NBA Analysis Network, as well as working with Louisville Basketball. From playing to coaching to covering the game as a media member, Brett has been involved with the game of basketball from many different perspectives. Breaking the news of various free agent signings, yearly NBA Draft news and other key stories around the league, Brett is always on the phone, getting the latest news and rumors around the NBA. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @BrettSiegelNBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After moving Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks last offseason, the Portland Trail Blazers <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/blazers-news-chauncey-billups-gets-real-on-not-expecting-to-coach-a-rebuilding-team">entered a new era</a>, one that would be led by their young talents such as Anfernee Simons and Scoot Henderson, the third pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. As the Blazers began their rebuild, the 2023-24 season went as expected — a 21-61 record and a last-place finish in the Western Conference standings.</p><p>Ahead of the 2024-25 season, the Blazers once again seem destined to miss the playoffs, yet what their roster will ultimately look like remains a mystery due to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-lakers-linked-to-jonas-valanciunas-jerami-grant">trade rumors</a> surrounding Simons and veteran forward Jerami Grant.</p><p>The Blazers’ only concern right now is finding ways to get their young core as much experience as possible. Swinging a trade involving one of these players may make the most sense to open up minutes and accumulate future assets. While recently appearing on Sactown Sports 1140 in Sacramento, Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian discussed Portland’s options involving Simons and Grant, pointing out that one of the two will <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uaforS0n88" rel="noopener">likely be moved</a>.</p><p>“I would be surprised if Jerami (Grant) or Anfernee Simons, that one of the two is not moved,” Fentress said on Monday. “I was told that’s definitely the goal, that one of the two would probably be gone before training camp. Both being gone might be different. They obviously have time. They can wait until the trade deadline and see if someone else will offer more.”</p><p>The main reason why the Blazers may be active on the trade market as sellers ahead of training camp is because Simons and Grant don’t appear to be their future. Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe, and rookie Donovan Clingan are going to be the young talents Portland moves forward with, making Simons and Grant disposable.</p><h2><b>Anfernee Simons, Jerami Grant trade value</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Jerami-Grant.jpg"><figcaption>Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>Both Simons and Grant could contribute to various playoff-contending teams right away, which is why they hold some value on the open market. However, at this point in the offseason, the Blazers may have a hard time finding legitimate trade partners due to salary restraints, and many organizations are already finalizing their rosters for the start of the 2024-25 season.</p><p>Between the two players, Grant is certainly the player many teams would have interest in due to his two-way play. Over the last two seasons in Portland, Grant has averaged 20.7 points and 4.1 rebounds per game while shooting 40.2 percent from three-point range.</p><p>The problem with pursuing a trade for Grant is that he is under contract through the 2027-28 season and still has over $132 million left on his contract. Very few teams in the league would have the ability to not only put together a trade package with at least $30 million in salary to equate Grant’s current deal, but many teams are struggling with remaining below the first and second tax aprons.</p><p>In Simons’ case, he has just two more years left on his contract and is owed a total that is slightly above $50 million. At 25 years old, Simons has proven that he can be a lead guard both as a scorer from the perimeter and a facilitator. Over the last two seasons, the Blazers guard has averaged 21.7 points and 4.7 assists per game while shooting 38.1 percent from three-point range.</p><p>The idea of building around Henderson and Sharpe is the main reason why Portland could look to move off of Simons while he holds a fair amount of value. Still, the idea of beginning the season with both players may be more appealing to the Blazers, especially considering that a team may be willing to pay more for either Simons or Grant ahead of the trade deadline.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA rumors: Blazers expected to trade 1 of Jerami Grant, Anfernee Simons

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/blazers-anfernee-simons-trade-speculation-grows-after-gms-comments');   ga('set', 'title', 'Blazers’ Anfernee Simons trade speculation grows after GM’s comments');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Blazers-news-Anfernee-Simons-trade-speculation-grows-after-GMs-comments.jpg"></figure><h1>Blazers’ Anfernee Simons trade speculation grows after GM’s comments</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-06-27T07:37:38-07:00">June 27th, 7:37am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-06-27T07:37:38-07:00">June 27th, 7:37am</time><address><a>Ryan Bologna</a>Ryan Bologna is an author at ClutchPoints. He studied journalism and communication at UConn.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Portland Trail Blazers came away with UConn big man Donovan Clingan in the first round of the NBA Draft on Wednesday night, and after the pick, general manager Joe Cronin spoke on the talent base he is trying to build, and Anfernee Simons name <a href="https://x.com/highkin/status/1806216833219051527" rel="noopener">was not mentioned</a> as a player the team is committed to, which fanned the flames on the trade rumors surrounding him.</p><p>“We’ve got to continue to build this talent base,” Joe Cronin said, via Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report. “We’re committed to Scoot and Shaedon being a massive part of what we’re doing. How do we find ways to give them the support they need and make them better and maximize their development?”</p><p>It appears that Cronin <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grading-blazers-trade-malcolm-brogdon-wizards-deni-avdija">and the Trail Blazers</a> are at least envisioning building around Donovan Clingan, Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe. It could be a slip-up for Cronin, and he might believe that Simons is a player to build around for the long term, but his comments certainly do raise eyebrows.</p><p>Simons is entering the third year of a four-year, $100 million contract, so it could be conceivable that Cronin would want to move him to give more playing time to the younger players on the team. It will be interesting to see if Simons is moved at some point this summer, as he is a talented player who could help a team that wants to win now.</p><h2><b>Who are the Trail Blazers trying to build around?</b></h2><p>Starting with Clingan, who was one of the more dominant big men in college basketball over the past two seasons, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/blazers-news-portland-gm-reasoning-donovan-clingan-pick">the Trail Blazers are</a> hoping that his traits translate to the NBA level. While there are some question about his offensive upside, there is a lot to like for NBA teams, as his size and athleticism gave great rim protection in college. That is viewed as a transferrable skill, and if he can have some kind of offensive game playing with Henderson and Sharpe, the Trail Blazers could end up having a nice core of players.</p><p>In 2022, the Trail Blazers selected Sharpe out of Kentucky with the No. 7 pick in the first round. As Cronin said, Portlant is committed to him as a piece for the long-term. In 2023, Portland reportedly had interest in Clingan if he had entered the draft, but that ultimately did not happen. Instead, they ended up with Scoot Henderson with the No. 3 pick in the draft.</p><p>It will be interesting to see what Cronin does with Simons this summer, as well as Deandre Ayton, as with Clingan in the fold, he does not seem to fit as a long-term piece. There are significant questions to answer this summer, but we have a general idea of who the Trail Blazers want to build around.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Blazers’ Anfernee Simons trade speculation grows after GM’s comments

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/blazers-regular-season-roundup-anfernee-simons');   ga('set', 'title', 'Anfernee Simons puts Blazers’ in difficult spot after injury-filled season');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/blazers-regular-season-roundup-anfernee-simons.jpg"></figure><h1>Anfernee Simons puts Blazers’ in difficult spot after injury-filled season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-03-26T10:17:06-07:00">March 26th, 10:17am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-03-26T11:19:54-07:00">March 26th, 11:19am</time><address><a>Peter Sampson</a>Peter Sampson has been covering all things sports (with a focus on the Portland Trail Blazers) for more than a decade, most recently hosting "The Pulse with Peter Sampson" in Afternoon Drive for 750 The Game. Prior to that, he hosted an NBA wrap-up show that aired immediately at the conclusion of every Trail Blazers game. Peter had previous stops at Blazer's Edge and XRAY.FM - where his show "Blazer's Edge Radio" was named "Portland's Best Sports Radio" in the 2017 Willamette Week reader's poll. When he's not telling the stories of your favorite sports team, Peter can be found recording the next garage rock classic in his basement studio, whipping up an authentic Italian meal in the kitchen, or trying to figure out the appeal of Minecraft with his 9-year-old son in the living room.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With just 10 games left in the NBA regular season, the Portland Trail Blazers are sitting at 19-53 – just three games out of the Western Conference cellar.</p><p>It’s been a difficult year for Blazers fans. While most adjusted their expectations accordingly and looked to internal development, due to injuries, the season proved to be rockier than even most Portland fans expected.</p><p>With that said, this series looks back at each Blazers player’s 2023-24 season, shares what should be expected over the final few games of the season, and what fans should hope for in the offseason. There’s no better place to start than with Portland’s leading scorer – Anfernee Simons.</p><h2><b>Anfernee Simons’ season in review</b></h2><p>The season started out in the worst way possible for Simons, who<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/blazers-news-anfernee-simons-thumb-surgery-4-to-6-weeks"> tore the UCL</a> in his right thumb in the Blazers’ loss to the Clippers on opening night. The injury, which required surgery, kept Simons out of the Blazers’ lineup <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/blazers-news-anfernee-simons-injury-designation-warriors">until early December</a>.</p><p>Upon returning to the court, Simons played incredibly well for the Blazers in the month of December. Over those nine games, Ant averaged 28 points per game – including a 41-point outburst against the Washington Wizards. Unfortunately for the Blazers, Simons dealt with an illness at the end of the month that forced him to miss three games.</p><p>Upon returning, he didn’t look like the same player for the Blazers. In the month of January, Simons averaged only 19.8 points per game on 42 percent shooting.</p><p>While his scoring has bounced back over the last two months for the Blazers, Simons is now dealing with tendinitis in his left knee that has kept him out of action over the last two games.</p><h2><b>What to expect over the final few games</b></h2><p>With Shaedon Sharpe set to make his return from core muscle surgery shortly, expect the Blazers to be cautious with Simons’ knee. If Portland were fighting for a playoff spot, things may be different, but the biggest goal for the Blazers at this point in the season should be getting Sharpe and Scoot Henderson on the court at the same time. In order to maximize those minutes, don’t be surprised to see the team continue to hold Simons out in certain games or limit his overall minutes.</p><h2><b>What does the future hold for Anfernee Simons and the Blazers?</b></h2><p>The Blazers find themselves in a difficult spot, with Simons, Sharpe, and Henderson (plus Malcolm Brogdon) all deserving of backcourt minutes. With Brogdon all but assuredly not part of the Blazers’ long-term plans, Portland needs to make a decision on the three remaining guards.</p><p>On the surface, it would make sense for the Blazers to go all in with Sharpe and Henderson and look to move Simons. Due to injuries and inconsistency from Henderson, it may make sense for the team to take a slower approach and wait until next offseason to make a decision.</p><p>Expect Simons to be back with the Blazers in 2024-25. Depending on Henderson’s development and Sharpe’s ability to mesh with him, Simons could find himself on the move at the trade deadline or the following summer.</p><p>The Blazers and Anfernee Simons find themselves in an interesting spot. He’s too good for the Blazers to succeed without him, but he’s not good enough to consistently put the team on his back and lead them to wins.</p><p>With that in mind, expect the Blazers to look for ‘that’ guy in Sharpe or Henderson.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Anfernee Simons puts Blazers’ in difficult spot after injury-filled season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/anfernee-simons-thinks-blazers-making-good-progress');   ga('set', 'title', 'Anfernee Simons thinks Blazers ‘making good progress’');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Anfernee-Simons-thinks-Portland-_making-good-progress_.jpg"></figure><h1>Anfernee Simons thinks Blazers ‘making good progress’</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-03-07T11:29:05-08:00">March 7th, 11:29am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-03-07T11:29:05-08:00">March 7th, 11:29am</time><address><a>Peter Sampson</a>Peter Sampson has been covering all things sports (with a focus on the Portland Trail Blazers) for more than a decade, most recently hosting "The Pulse with Peter Sampson" in Afternoon Drive for 750 The Game. Prior to that, he hosted an NBA wrap-up show that aired immediately at the conclusion of every Trail Blazers game. Peter had previous stops at Blazer's Edge and XRAY.FM - where his show "Blazer's Edge Radio" was named "Portland's Best Sports Radio" in the 2017 Willamette Week reader's poll. When he's not telling the stories of your favorite sports team, Peter can be found recording the next garage rock classic in his basement studio, whipping up an authentic Italian meal in the kitchen, or trying to figure out the appeal of Minecraft with his 9-year-old son in the living room.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Portland Trail Blazers, despite their 128-120 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday, have been playing better basketball of late.</p><p>After a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/blazers-tough-march-after-first-winless-month-franchise-history" rel="noopener">winless February</a> and a January that saw them suffer multiple blowout losses – including a 62-point walloping at the hands of the Thunder – the Blazers have opened March with a pair of wins over the Memphis Grizzlies and a pair of single-digit losses to the Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves.</p><p>When asked about the team’s progress compared to that low period, Blazers guard Anfernee Simons was optimistic:</p><p>“I think everybody’s making good progress as a team. I mean, obviously, we’ve got guys coming in and out of the rotation. We’ve got guys getting injured. So it kind of messes up how we want to develop as a team. If [the rotation] changes every week, you’ve got to pivot and figure it out from there.”</p><p>Simons then shouted out the Blazers young rotation players. “Kris [Murray] goes into the starting lineup, he’s been playing hard. Duop [Reath] gets to the starting lineup and has been playing well. [Rayan Rupert] coming in, last two games, he gets some playing time and goes in playing as hard as he can. That’s all you want to see from those guys, and just continue to get better.”</p><p>Simons certainly understands the Blazers process of developing young players and so-called ‘good losses.’ But that doesn’t mean that he’s okay with losing.</p><p>“Development-wise, you see it as a full win, being able to compete and keep it close. But obviously, as a competitor, you’re like, ‘nah, forget that. I want to win.'”</p><p>Simons and the Blazers take on the Houston Rockets from Moda Center on Friday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Anfernee Simons thinks Blazers ‘making good progress’

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/blazers-news-anfernee-simons-explodes-for-disrespectful-poster-dunk-on-3x-dpoy-rudy-gobert');   ga('set', 'title', 'Anfernee Simons explodes for disrespectful poster dunk on 3x DPOY Rudy Gobert');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/blazers-news-anfernee-simons-explodes-for-disrespectful-poster-dunk-on-3x-dpoy-rudy-gobert.webp"></figure><h1>Anfernee Simons explodes for disrespectful poster dunk on 3x DPOY Rudy Gobert</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-03-04T19:53:21-08:00">March 4th, 7:53pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-03-04T19:53:21-08:00">March 4th, 7:53pm</time><address><a>David Yapkowitz</a>David is an NBA Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is based in Los Angeles and currently covers basketball at every level from NBA/WNBA to men/women college and boys/girls high school.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Portland Trail Blazers hit the reset button this season when they opted to trade franchise cornerstone Damian Lillard. As the team looks to the future, they’re trying to build a nucleus of young players <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/blazers-news-scoot-henderson-era-officially-begins-loss-timberwolves" rel="noopener">which includes</a> No. 3 overall pick Scoot Henderson. Another young player the Blazers are building around is Anfernee Simons. During the Blazers game agains the Timberwolves on Monday, Anfernee Simons <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1764852356355596592" rel="noopener">posterized</a> Rudy Gobert, one of the best defensive players in the league.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">ANFERNEE SIMONS PUT RUDY GOBERT ON A POSTER 😱</p><p> <a href="https://t.co/zEdkBns0Jd">pic.twitter.com/zEdkBns0Jd</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1764852356355596592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Although the Blazers were down double digits to the Wolves, his dunk got the bench off their feet and brought some energy to the game. Anfernee Simons got downhill, saw Rudy Gobert, turned on the jets and rose up at the rim as Gobert attempted to challenge the shot.</p><p>Getting posterized just comes with the territory though of being a shot-blocker. It’s nothing that Gobert won’t brush off and move past.</p><p>But the play is just the latest in the growing resume for Simons. The No. 24 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, Simons has become a player the Blazers can legitimately build around. He’s been hampered due to injury this season, appearing in only 36 games, but he’s shown enough flashes of his potential.</p><p>He’s been averaging a career-high 22.4 points per game, 3.6 rebounds and 5.3 assists with splits of 42.4 percent shooting from the field, 37.9 percent shooting from the three point line and 91.4 percent shooting from the free throw line. Simons has increased his shot attempts to 18.3 up from 16.9 last season. He’s also increased his free throw attempts to 3.9 up from 2.9 last year.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Anfernee Simons explodes for disrespectful poster dunk on 3x DPOY Rudy Gobert

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/blazers-news-anfernee-simons-gets-real-frustrating-shooting-night-hornets');   ga('set', 'title', 'Blazers’ Anfernee Simons gets real on ‘frustrating’ shooting night vs. Hornets');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Anfernee-Simons-opens-up-on-_frustrating_-shooting-night-vs.webp"></figure><h1>Blazers’ Anfernee Simons gets real on ‘frustrating’ shooting night vs. Hornets</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-02-26T10:16:13-08:00">February 26th, 10:16am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-02-26T10:16:13-08:00">February 26th, 10:16am</time><address><a>Peter Sampson</a>Peter Sampson has been covering all things sports (with a focus on the Portland Trail Blazers) for more than a decade, most recently hosting "The Pulse with Peter Sampson" in Afternoon Drive for 750 The Game. Prior to that, he hosted an NBA wrap-up show that aired immediately at the conclusion of every Trail Blazers game. Peter had previous stops at Blazer's Edge and XRAY.FM - where his show "Blazer's Edge Radio" was named "Portland's Best Sports Radio" in the 2017 Willamette Week reader's poll. When he's not telling the stories of your favorite sports team, Peter can be found recording the next garage rock classic in his basement studio, whipping up an authentic Italian meal in the kitchen, or trying to figure out the appeal of Minecraft with his 9-year-old son in the living room.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Portland Trail Blazers fell 93-80 to the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday night in a battle between two teams jockeying for lottery position.</p><p>In a game that saw the Blazers <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/blazers-scoot-henderson-remains-sidelined-vs-hornets-with-troublesome-injury" rel="noopener">without</a> Shaedon Sharpe, Malcolm Brogdon, and Scoot Henderson – and the Hornets without LaMelo Ball – it’s no surprise that points were hard to come by for both teams. But what was surprising was just how much Blazers guard Anfernee Simons struggled offensively.</p><p>Simons shot just 4-21 from the floor for 10 points in the Blazers’ loss. After the game, Simons spoke about his tough shooting night.</p><p>“Obviously, not making shots it’s always a frustrating night, but I think I handled it well,” said Simons. “In the past, I would get way more frustrated, but I played crappy tonight. Just got to move on.”</p><p>When asked if he was going to bother watching game film on a night where the Blazers seemingly couldn’t buy a bucket, Simons responded, “Probably not. I mean, I pretty much know exactly what happened in that game. I know every shot I missed. I know every turnover I had. I can remember it all, you know what I mean? Overanalyzing a game like this, where you just [weren’t] able to make any shots, that can carry on to the next game and you don’t want it to carry. Especially when you feel like you got good shots.”</p><p>The Blazers had a nearly historic night from behind the 3-point line, shooting 3-32 from behind the arc, with two of the three makes coming in the final 2:19 during garbage time.</p><p>There is a silver lining to the performance, the Blazers, seemingly locked in with the fifth-highest NBA Draft Lottery odds, managed to tie the Hornets in this win-column for the fourth-best odds.</p><p>Up next, the Blazers take on the Miami Heat from Moda Center on Monday night.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Blazers’ Anfernee Simons gets real on ‘frustrating’ shooting night vs. Hornets

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/blazers-news-coach-chauncey-billups-has-plan-scoot-henderson-anfernee-simons');   ga('set', 'title', 'Blazers coach Chauncey Billups has a plan for Scoot Henderson, Anfernee Simons');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/coach-Chauncey-Billups-has-a-plan-for-Scoot-Henderson-Anfernee-Simons.webp"></figure><h1>Blazers coach Chauncey Billups has a plan for Scoot Henderson, Anfernee Simons</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-02-14T10:39:37-08:00">February 14th, 10:39am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-02-14T10:39:37-08:00">February 14th, 10:39am</time><address><a>Peter Sampson</a>Peter Sampson has been covering all things sports (with a focus on the Portland Trail Blazers) for more than a decade, most recently hosting "The Pulse with Peter Sampson" in Afternoon Drive for 750 The Game. Prior to that, he hosted an NBA wrap-up show that aired immediately at the conclusion of every Trail Blazers game. Peter had previous stops at Blazer's Edge and XRAY.FM - where his show "Blazer's Edge Radio" was named "Portland's Best Sports Radio" in the 2017 Willamette Week reader's poll. When he's not telling the stories of your favorite sports team, Peter can be found recording the next garage rock classic in his basement studio, whipping up an authentic Italian meal in the kitchen, or trying to figure out the appeal of Minecraft with his 9-year-old son in the living room.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>As the Portland Trail Blazers continue to deal with injuries to their backcourt, the team is focused on maximizing minutes with rookie Scoot Henderson and Anfernee Simons on the court together.</p><p>With Malcolm Brogdon and Shaedon Sharpe both unavailable for an extended stretch, Henderson and Simons will be playing the bulk of the minutes in the backcourt for the Blazers.</p><p>But with both guards tending to be most successful with the ball in their hands, how will Blazers coach Chauncey Billups manage the pairing?</p><p>Said Billups after the Blazers’ loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday, “You’ll see a lot more of it coming up here now. Scoot is feeling much better. Hopefully he’s not too sore playing this many minutes. I didn’t think I’d play him this many tonight. I was keeping an eye on him out there. You never can tell, he’s so tough. But you’ll be seeing them playing together a lot more.”</p><p>When asked to explain how to balance who is on the ball, the Blazers coach elaborated, “It is a tricky little balance, because both guys are much better with the ball in their hands, which makes it tough. Also, both guys understand that they have to learn how to play without the ball in their hands because the other guy is going to be on the floor. Particularly right now, with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/blazers-news-shaedon-sharpe-surgery-timeline-revealed" rel="noopener">no Shaedon [Sharpe</a>] and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/blazers-news-portland-malcolm-brogdon-injury-update" rel="noopener">no Malcolm [Brogdon].</a> You gotta have them both out there. So, some sets we like to have [Simons] initiate. And then some sets are much better when Scoot initiates. But both guys, I want them both to be really aggressive the entire time, and no matter who initiates, or you get on the second side, just be who you are. Just play and be aggressive the entire time.”</p><p>While there hasn’t been any indication from Billups that Henderson will move back into the starting lineup at any point soon, expect the Blazers to continue to play both guards heavy minutes together. They’ll get their next opportunity on Thursday when they take on the Timberwolves for the second time in three days.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Blazers coach Chauncey Billups has a plan for Scoot Henderson, Anfernee Simons

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/blazers-news-anfernee-simons-crazy-reaction-facing-damian-lillard-portland-return');   ga('set', 'title', 'Anfernee Simons’ crazy reaction to facing Damian Lillard in Blazers return');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/blazers-news-anfernee-simons-crazy-reaction-to-facing-damian-lillard-in-portland-return.webp"></figure><h1>Anfernee Simons’ crazy reaction to facing Damian Lillard in Blazers return</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-02-01T05:40:43-08:00">February 1st, 5:40am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-02-01T05:40:43-08:00">February 1st, 5:40am</time><address><a>Ryan Bologna</a>Ryan Bologna is an author at ClutchPoints. He studied journalism and communication at UConn.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Damian Lillard made his return to Portland with the Milwaukee Bucks last night, and took a 119-116 loss, and Anfernee Simons <a href="https://twitter.com/ROOTSPORTS_NW/status/1752932338215047492" rel="noopener">opened up</a> on what it was like facing his mentor and former teammate to get the win for the Trail Blazers.</p><p>“Nah it was crazy, it was kind of weird you know what I mean?” Anfernee Simons said, via Root Sports. “First time playing an actual game against him. But it was fun you know what I mean? Obviously he plays the same way against anybody you know, he got the same demeanor so. But I’ll put it straight, it felt a little bit different tonight for sure. It felt kind of weird for me. I’m pretty sure it felt weird for everybody. I’m glad he was able to have his moment because he deserves it. You know what I mean he’s the greatest Blazer of all time in my opinion. I’m just happy that we was able to get the win.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Anfernee Simons spoke about what it meant to play against his former teammate Damian Lillard 🎙️ <a href="https://t.co/xbiSGarjne">pic.twitter.com/xbiSGarjne</a></p><p>— ROOT SPORTS™ | NW (@ROOTSPORTS_NW) <a href="https://twitter.com/ROOTSPORTS_NW/status/1752932338215047492?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Simons scored a team-high 24 points, and had five assists with three rebounds, while Deandre Ayton scored 20 as well. Jerami Grant, Malcolm Brogdon, Scoot Henderson and Duop Reath all scored in the double digits as well. Damian Lillard scored 25 in his return game against the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/blazers-news-cj-mccollum-beautiful-message-damian-lillard-portland-return" rel="noopener">Trail Blazers</a>, dishing out seven assists and grabbing six rebounds as well. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way with 27 points.</p><p>Ultimately, it was not enough for the Bucks to get a win. It was a promising performance from many of the young players on the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/blazers-news-damian-lillard-tribute-video-brings-all-the-feels" rel="noopener">Trail Blazers</a> to get an upset win against one of the contenders in the Eastern Conference.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Anfernee Simons’ crazy reaction to facing Damian Lillard in Blazers return

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/blazers-anfernee-simons-scoot-henderson-injury-updates-vs-lakers');   ga('set', 'title', 'Blazers: Anfernee Simons, Scoot Henderson injury updates vs. Lakers');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Anfernee_Simons_Scoot_Henderson_injury_updates_vs._Lakers.webp"></figure><h1>Blazers: Anfernee Simons, Scoot Henderson injury updates vs. Lakers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-01-21T14:26:43-08:00">January 21st, 2:26pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-01-21T14:26:43-08:00">January 21st, 2:26pm</time><address><a>Ryan Bologna</a>Ryan Bologna is an author at ClutchPoints. He studied journalism and communication at UConn.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Portland Trail Blazers are on the road tonight to take on the Los Angeles Lakers, and they might be without young building blocks for the roster in Anfernee Simons and Scoot Henderson, as both are <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qzwGUmNi4U" rel="noopener">listed as</a> questionable on the latest NBA injury report.</p><p>Anfernee Simons is listed as questionable with a general illness, while Scoot Henderson is listed as questionable with a nasal contusion for the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/blazers-news-is-deandre-ayton-playing-vs-pacers" rel="noopener">Trail Blazers</a>. It would be a blow to Portland to have neither of the two on the court tonight against the Lakers as the team tries to pull an upset.</p><p>It will be worth monitoring reports leading up to the game to see whether or not Simons and Henderson are going to play. Portland is trying to move to 13-29 on the season by beating a Lakers team that currently sits at 21-22 and is fighting hard to secure a playoff spot in the Western Conference.</p><p>Simons has played in 19 games for the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/blazers-news-scoot-henderson-leaves-vs-pacers-with-concerning-nasal-injury" rel="noopener">Trail Blazers</a> to this point in the season, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qzwGUmNi4U" rel="noopener">averaging</a> 22.9 points per game with 4.9 assists and 3.5 rebounds, according to Basketball Reference. It is his sixth season in the NBA, and he has established himself as a young building block for Portland.</p><p>Meanwhile, Henderson is in his rookie season. He has played in 32 games, <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/hendesc01.html" rel="noopener">averaging</a> 12.5 points per game with 4.8 assists and 3.1 rebounds, according to Basketball Reference. PortlanD has high hopes for the guard it drafted this summer.</p><p>If both play against the Lakers, an upset win would give Trail Blazers fans hope for the future.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Blazers: Anfernee Simons, Scoot Henderson injury updates vs. Lakers

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/blazers-coach-chauncey-billups-reveals-why-anfernee-simons-didnt-get-last-shot-vs-wizards');   ga('set', 'title', 'Blazers coach Chauncey Billups reveals why Anfernee Simons didn’t get last shot vs. Wizards');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Blazers_news_Chauncey_Billups_reveals_why_Anfernee_Simons_didn_t_get_last_shot_vs_Wizards.webp"></figure><h1>Blazers coach Chauncey Billups reveals why Anfernee Simons didn’t get last shot vs. Wizards</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-12-22T10:08:31-08:00">December 22nd, 10:08am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-12-22T10:15:14-08:00">December 22nd, 10:15am</time><address><a>Peter Sampson</a>Peter Sampson has been covering all things sports (with a focus on the Portland Trail Blazers) for more than a decade, most recently hosting "The Pulse with Peter Sampson" in Afternoon Drive for 750 The Game. Prior to that, he hosted an NBA wrap-up show that aired immediately at the conclusion of every Trail Blazers game. Peter had previous stops at Blazer's Edge and XRAY.FM - where his show "Blazer's Edge Radio" was named "Portland's Best Sports Radio" in the 2017 Willamette Week reader's poll. When he's not telling the stories of your favorite sports team, Peter can be found recording the next garage rock classic in his basement studio, whipping up an authentic Italian meal in the kitchen, or trying to figure out the appeal of Minecraft with his 9-year-old son in the living room.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Portland Trail Blazers <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/wizards-vs-trail-blazers-prediction-odds-pick-how-to-watch-12-21-2023" rel="noopener">fell 118-117</a> to the Washington Wizards on Thursday night in another game that saw the Blazers furiously claw their way back after a slow start.</p><p>But unlike Tuesday’s game against the Phoenix Suns, the Blazers fell just short against Washington. Portland had a chance to win it at the buzzer, but forward Jerami Grant <a href="https://x.com/PeterSampson/status/1738257953244000398?s=20" rel="noopener">missed a layup</a> off of an out of bounds play:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Blazers wish they had this one back <a href="https://t.co/nePPkFtBMT">pic.twitter.com/nePPkFtBMT</a></p><p>— Peter Sampson (@PeterSampson) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeterSampson/status/1738257953244000398?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2023</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Interestingly, Anfernee Simons, who <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/blazers-news-anfernee-simons-role-damian-lillard-trade" rel="noopener">singlehandedly brought the Blazers back</a> with 22 points in the final quarter (41 for the game), did not get the last shot of the game. Coach Billups was <a href="https://x.com/PeterSampson/status/1738076195965792762?s=20" rel="noopener">asked about</a> the final play after the game:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Coach Billups on Grant getting the last shot instead of Simons <a href="https://t.co/yrITq3Fsz5">pic.twitter.com/yrITq3Fsz5</a></p><p>— Peter Sampson (@PeterSampson) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeterSampson/status/1738076195965792762?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2023</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Said Billups on the final play, “It was the same play we had ran right before that when (Simons) got the dunk and had come downhill, and there were several options on the play. Jerami just caught it and kind of went one on one, which, you know, I’ve got to live with that. You know, he’s one of my best players. He’s a great one on one player. Obviously, I wish he would’ve went a little sooner, just in case he missed it we got a chance for a tip back, but he took a little too long to get there. Obviously, it was a play we ran before where we got the ball to (Simons) and he got downhill, he just didn’t get it there.”</p><p>So, the question is – did Grant decide to take it one-on-one when he should have found Simons, the Blazers player who was absolutely cooking the Wizards? Or was Simons too slow coming into the front court? Was he a decoy?</p><p>Whatever the answer, the Blazers came up just short in what could have been a thrilling home victory and the chance to notch consecutive wins for the first time since November.</p><p>Up next: The Blazers travel to the Bay Area and take on the Golden State Warriors on Saturday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Blazers coach Chauncey Billups reveals why Anfernee Simons didn’t get last shot vs. Wizards

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/blazers-news-anfernee-simons-role-damian-lillard-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'Blazers’ Anfernee Simons reveals new role after Damian Lillard trade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/blazers-news-anfernee-simons-evolves-into-portlands-closer-after-damian-lillard-trade.webp"></figure><h1>Blazers’ Anfernee Simons reveals new role after Damian Lillard trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2023-12-20T13:52:32-08:00">December 20th, 1:52pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2023-12-20T13:52:32-08:00">December 20th, 1:52pm</time><address><a>Peter Sampson</a>Peter Sampson has been covering all things sports (with a focus on the Portland Trail Blazers) for more than a decade, most recently hosting "The Pulse with Peter Sampson" in Afternoon Drive for 750 The Game. Prior to that, he hosted an NBA wrap-up show that aired immediately at the conclusion of every Trail Blazers game. Peter had previous stops at Blazer's Edge and XRAY.FM - where his show "Blazer's Edge Radio" was named "Portland's Best Sports Radio" in the 2017 Willamette Week reader's poll. When he's not telling the stories of your favorite sports team, Peter can be found recording the next garage rock classic in his basement studio, whipping up an authentic Italian meal in the kitchen, or trying to figure out the appeal of Minecraft with his 9-year-old son in the living room.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>In their first season in recent memory <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-damian-lillard-trade-blazers-suns" rel="noopener">without Damian Lillard</a> on the roster, the Portland Trail Blazers needed to find their new closer.</p><p>Blazers guard Anfernee Simons has stepped up as the team’s late game option of late, punctuated by slamming the door shut on the Phoenix Suns’ comeback effort by <a href="https://x.com/trailblazers/status/1737569100183060869?s=20" rel="noopener">hitting a tough runner</a> with 10 seconds left in Portland’s stunning 108-104 win on Tuesday night.</p><p>Simons understands that he needs to be able to get the job done for the Blazers in crunch-time, even if he hasn’t had it going offensively on any given night.</p><p>“It’s a new mindset for me in general knowing that I’ve got enough time to get myself back in the game while taking initiative to try and get everyone involved early,” said Simons. “That’s what I’ve been trying to do the last couple games. Shooting the ball hasn’t been working out that well for me but I think I’ve been happy with the progress because usually in the past I would just fade that whole game and I just wouldn’t be effective at all. And now, obviously I’ve got the ball in my hands a lot more and I’m just trying to keep myself calm through those times.”</p><p>As the Blazers look to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/blazers-player-who-must-be-traded-2023-24-nba-season" rel="noopener">develop their young potential</a> headlined by Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson, Simons is at the top of the pecking order. While he is Portland’s longest-tenured player, it’s easy to forget that Anfernee is only 24 years old and has room to grow himself.</p><p>The good news for the Blazers is that, after watching Lillard show how it’s done when the game is on the line, Simons has now shown that he’s ready to be the one to show up in crunch time.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
17.4	2.5	4.8	0.1	1.0

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
17.4	2.5	4.8	0.1	1.0

Anfernee Simons news

Anfernee
Simons news