Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons entered Sunday’s game at the Los Angeles Lakers still searching for consistency.
None came during a 107-98 loss to the Lakers. Simons ended the night with 14 points on 5-of-13 shooting, including 1 of 6 from three-point range. He also added four assists but with three turnovers.
It was another off night for the seventh-year guard, who, at 25, has regressed while adjusting to his role as the team’s lead guard, entrusted to run the team and be a primary scorer.
“Obviously, it’s a new transition for everybody,' Simons said following Saturday’s practice. ”Just a new style of play. I’m just trying to do whatever it takes for us as a team to figure everything out. Whether that might not look like I’m necessarily playing well to where I had been in the past, it’s just that I’m just trying to be myself within the new system and what we are trying to do. And that might take sacrifice. It takes sacrifice for everybody on the team.”
Finding the balance between scoring and playmaking has not come naturally for Simons, and the 8-16 Blazers have suffered.
He entered Sunday shooting 40.2% from the field and 32.9% from three-point range.
Simons recently had an impressive three-game burst. He shot 58.7% from the field and 53.6% on three-point attempts, averaging 26.0 points and 6.7 assists.
The points and assists were more in line with the run he produced last season after returning from missing 18 games with an injured thumb ligament. Over 10 games, Simons averaged 28 points and 5.4 assists, while shooting 45.8% from the field and 40.4% from three-piont range.
It appeared maybe that version of Simons had returned until during two games before Sunday, Simons averaged just 10.5 points, shooting 30.8% from the field and 15.4% from beyond the arc.
Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said his most pressing goal for Simons is to consistently play faster to put pressure on opposing defenses.
“That’s an adjustment for him,” Billups said.
Utah Jazz v Portland Trail Blazers
=Anfernee Simons #1 walks past head coach Chauncey Billups of Portland Trail Blazers during the first half against the Utah Jazz at Moda Center on December 06, 2024 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)Getty Images
This is partly because Simons spent his first five seasons watching former Blazers star Damian Lillard, an eight-time All-Star, who excels in the halfcourt.
“That’s his big brother,” Billups said.
Simons, Billups added, must set aside some of what he learned from Lillard.
“He has to make a change and start trying to play a little faster because they are different players,” Billups said.
According to Billups, when Simons throttles down, defenses lock into him and take away scoring opportunities by blitzing or placing taller defenders in front of him.
That all changes when Simons uses his speed and athleticism to attack first before shifting into half-court mode.
“When Ant is coming down with pace, the other team is frightened,” Billups said. “They really are. Because he can pull up. He’s quick enough to get by. But when he’s playing slow, they’re happy. So that’s his biggest adjustment. I’m trying to get him to play a lot faster so he can be more in attack mode. I think that’ll free him up.”
Simons has remained patient. He’s accepted the process, believing eventually, everything will fall into place.
“I’m willing to live with the results,” he said, “whatever that looks like, as long as we’re taking steps to get better as a team.”
-- Aaron Fentress | afentress@Oregonian.com | @AaronJFentress (Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Facebook)