Can Anfernee Simons provide the Sixers with bench scoring punch? A Trail Blazers reporter weighs in.
To help Sixers followers get acquainted with the newcomers on this revamped roster, The Inquirer reached out to reporters who covered those players on their previous teams.
A wild 76ers offseason is nearing its end, after they stunningly signed LeBron James and traded for Jaylen Brown to vault into championship contender status. Media day is Monday, with training camp beginning Tuesday prior to an Oct. 20 opener at the defending champion New York Knicks.
To help Sixers followers get acquainted with the newcomers on this revamped roster, The Inquirer reached out to reporters who covered those players on their previous teams.
Next up is Rose Garden Report’s Sean Highkin, who covered Anfernee Simons’ tenure with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Gina Mizell: Simons’ three-point shooting is obviously what initially sticks out about his skill set. How did he develop into such a dangerous, high-volume threat?
SH: A combination of his own work ethic and some osmosis. In the same way that CJ McCollum picked up a lot of parts of Damian Lillard’s game from playing next to/behind him early on, and eventually developed into a reasonable facsimile of that type of player, that’s what a lot of Simons’ offensive development has been.
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GM: How big of an issue is his defense, especially when he could spend time playing alongside fellow small guards Tyrese Maxey and/or Labaron Philon Jr. with the Sixers?
SH: The defense is definitely a liability, but the role and expectations are very different in Philly than they were here. In Portland, he was making big money and expecting to start and be the veteran on a young team and play over 30 minutes a game, so his deficiencies on that end were a lot more noticeable. He’s going to be a bench player making less than mid-level money in Philadelphia whose job is to come in and score, so the defense is something you can live with a little more.
GM: Where did Simons’ game most progress during his Blazers stint? Were there any aspects that did not progress as much as you expected?
SH: The bones of what his game became were there when he was drafted. The difference has been his confidence and efficiency as a scorer improving as he got bigger opportunities.
GM: What did you observe from afar in how his game has translated since leaving Portland, particularly while fitting into that terrific Celtics regular season?
SH: He’s the same player that he was in Portland, but his role in Boston (which will presumably be the same in Philly) is a lot closer to what he should be than what he was expected to be here. Is he a starting lead guard on a contending team? No. Is he a great bench scorer on a team with those expectations? Absolutely.
GM: What’s he like as a teammate and locker-room personality?
SH: He’s a really good guy, very low-maintenance. Not the most vocal leader, but someone everybody respects because they know the work he puts in, and he’s become much more comfortable being vocal as he’s gotten older. He’ll fit right in. On a team with so many voices that command so much attention like LeBron, Jaylen, Embiid and Maxey, he doesn’t have to do any of the “leader” stuff.
