Trail Blazers' Anfernee Simons: Iffy for Friday vs. HOU
Rotowire
Simons (hand) is listed as questionable for Friday's game against the Rockets.
Simons is dealing with a right hand sprain after missing the club's last three outings due to an illness. If the 25-year-old is unable to make his return to game action Friday, Dalano Banton will likely receive an increased role with Scoot Henderson (quadricep) also deemed questionable.
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Trail Blazers' Anfernee Simons: Out again Wednesday
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Simons (illness) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against Oklahoma City.
Simons' next opportunity to take the court comes in a back-to-back set in Houston on Friday and Saturday, although such scheduling is not conducive to a player looking to return from an illness/respiratory issue. Shaedon Sharpe has operated as the Trail Blazers' primary scoring option out of the backcourt during Simons' absence, while Scoot Henderson and Dalano Banton have also handled increased roles.
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Trail Blazers' Anfernee Simons: Iffy for Wednesday vs. OKC
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Simons (illness) is listed as questionable for Wednesday's game against the Thunder.
Simons is in jeopardy of missing his third consecutive game due to an illness, though he was considered doubtful before Sunday's game, so the questionable tag is a positive sign. If the 25-year-old is unable to play, Scoot Henderson will likely remain in the starting five.
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Trail Blazers' Anfernee Simons: Won't play Sunday
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Simons (illness) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against Atlanta.
Simons experienced shortness of breath during the Trail Blazers' win over the Timberwolves on Tuesday. He was able to return to practice Saturday, but he'll be held out for a second straight game, and his next chance to suit up will be against the Thunder on Wednesday. Scoot Henderson should make his second straight start with Simons sidelined Sunday.
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Trail Blazers' Anfernee Simons: Unlikely to play Sunday
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Coach Chauncey Billups said Simons (illness) returned to practice Saturday but is unlikely to play in Sunday's game versus the Hawks, Sean Highkin of Rip City Radio 620 Portland reports.
Simons will likely miss his second straight contest due to an illness. However, the 25-year-old guard's participation in practice is a good sign that he is nearing a return to action. If he's ruled out, Simons' next chance to suit up would come Wednesday in Oklahoma City.
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Trail Blazers' Anfernee Simons: Out Wednesday with illness
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Simons won't play Wednesday versus the Timberwolves due to an illness.
Simons was in visible discomfort in the first quarter of Monday's 122-108 win over Minnesota, as he dropped to the floor in a squat and appearing to be disoriented while standing on the perimeter. The Trail Blazers ruled him out for the rest of the contest due to a chest injury, and head coach Chauncey Billups said after the game that Simons experienced shortness of breath, per Sean Highkin of RoseGardenReport.com. Initial tests on Simons turned up normal, but the guard was scheduled to undergo more testing Wednesday as the Trail Blazers look to ensure he's not dealing with a more serious medical concern. While he'll sit out the second leg of the back-to-back set, Simons could be a candidate to return to action Sunday versus the Hawks.
Head coach Chauncey Billups said after Tuesday's 122-108 win over the Timberwolves that Simons (chest) experienced shortness of breath during the contest and should be OK moving forward, Sean Highkin of RoseGardenReport.com reports.
Simons tallied two points (1-2 FG, 0-1 3Pt) and one rebound in five minutes before exiting Tuesday's contest in the first quarter. The 25-year-old guard is not expected to miss significant time, but since he's still scheduled to undergo further testing Wednesday, he may miss the second leg of the back-to-back set later that day against the Timberwolves. Through his first 12 appearances of the season, Simons has averaged 16.3 points, 4.3 assists, 2.2 three-pointers and 2.0 rebounds in 29.8 minutes while shooting 38.2 percent from the field.
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Trail Blazers' Anfernee Simons: Out for remainder of game
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Simons will not return to Tuesday's game versus the Timberwolves due to a chest injury.
Simons tallied two points (1-2 FG, 0-1 3Pt) and one rebound in five minutes before exiting Tuesday's contest early. Although initial reports deemed Simons' injury a hand issue, it now appears to be a chest injury. The 25-year-old guard's status for Wednesday's rematch with Minnesota is uncertain.
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Trail Blazers' Anfernee Simons: Exits to locker room
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Simons went back to the locker room in the first quarter of Tuesday's contest against Minnesota with an apparent right hand injury, Sean Highkin of RoseGardenReport.com reports.
Portland's medical staff appeared to check Simons' right hand before he went back to the locker room early in the matchup. If the 25-year-old is unable to return, Scoot Henderson and Dalano Banton are candidates for an increased role the rest of the way.
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Trail Blazers' Anfernee Simons: Woeful in loss to Memphis
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Simons registered four points (2-9 FG, 0-4 3Pt), one rebound and one assist in 19 minutes during Sunday's 134-89 loss to the Grizzlies.
Simons had his worst game of the season Sunday, and even though his numbers had been trending in the wrong direction of late, he reached a new low in this one, missing seven of his nine shots and failing to do much in other categories. Despite the dud, Simons should remain one of the Trail Blazers' most reliable options on offense.
Simons recorded 14 points (6-16 FG, 2-7 3Pt), two rebounds and two assists over 27 minutes during Friday's 127-102 loss to the Timberwolves.
Simons was far from efficient in this 25-point blowout loss to the Timberwolves, ending the game with more field-goal attempts than points scored for the second time in his last four games. Despite the shooting woes and the lack of efficiency that has seen Simons shoot a meager 38.9 percent from the field in his first nine games this season, he should remain the Trail Blazers' primary offensive weapon.
Simons finished Monday's 118-100 win over the Pelicans with 24 points (10-17 FG, 3-8 3Pt, 1-1 FT), one rebound, four assists and one steal in 34 minutes.
Simons delivered his fifth game with 20 or more points in eight appearances this season, but he took a step forward in the efficiency department after shooting a meager 35.6 percent from the field in his previous seven contests. Simons should continue to operate as one of Portland's go-to players on offense going forward, though an uptick in the efficiency department would go a long way toward boosting his upside even further.
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Trail Blazers' Anfernee Simons: Good to go Saturday
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Simons (arm) isn't on the injury report for Saturday's game versus the Suns.
Simons left Friday's contest early after falling awkwardly on his arm but doesn't appear to have suffered a serious injury. The 25-year-old guard is averaging 18.7 points, 5.2 assists and 2.0 rebounds in 33.0 minutes across his six appearances this season.
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Trail Blazers' Anfernee Simons: Leaves early, expected to be fine
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Simons left Friday's 137-114 loss to the Thunder with 9:26 left in the fourth quarter after landing awkwardly on a dunk attempt and never returned. He finished the contest with nine points (1-8 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 6-6 FT), six assists, four rebounds and a block in 28 minutes.
Coach Chauncey Billups said after the game that Simons was in the process of getting checked out by the medical staff but didn't think the injury was anything serious. Either way, with the Trail Blazers back in action Saturday against the Suns, Simons is still in danger of missing at least one contest. If that's the case, Scoot Henderson would likely make his first start of the campaign.
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Trail Blazers' Anfernee Simons: Spurs rally in narrow win
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Simons closed Wednesday's 106-105 victory over the Clippers with 25 points (10-24 FG, 3-9 3Pt, 2-2 FT), two rebounds and six assists in 36 minutes.
Simons started to get hot in the third quarter and narrowed the gap with an excellent final stanza. The Clippers went ice-cold offensively, and Simons took advantage, sinking the go-ahead layup to seal the win. Although the team is 2-3, Simons has put together five solid performances, albeit with inefficient shooting, and the team looks improved thanks to his output.
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Trail Blazers' Anfernee Simons: Muted performance in loss
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Simons logged 12 points (4-12 FG, 1-7 3Pt, 3-4 FT), one rebound and three assists in 32 minutes during Monday's 111-98 loss to the Kings.
Simons couldn't find his range Monday as Portland fell to 1-3 on the season. That's been the norm for Simons early on this campaign, as he's now shooting 37.7 percent from the field and 30.3 percent from beyond the arc with averages of 19.5 points, 4.8 assists, 1.5 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 2.5 three-pointers through four games.
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Trail Blazers' Anfernee Simons: Drops 24 points in loss
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Simons accumulated 24 points (6-20 FG, 2-9 3Pt, 10-11 FT), one rebound, seven assists and one steal across 36 minutes during Friday's 105-103 loss to the Pelicans.
It was another shaky shooting night from the floor for Simons, but he compensated at the free-throw line. The 25-year-old guard is first and foremost looking to stay healthy in 2024-25 after playing no more than 62 games in any of the last three seasons, but he should begin to find his shooting stroke before long -- he hadn't posted a field-goal percentage below 43.0 percent, or a three-point percentage below 37.7 percent, since becoming a starter in 2021-22.
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Trail Blazers' Anfernee Simons: Struggles from deep
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Simons finished Wednesday's 139-104 loss to the Warriors with 15 points (5-12 FG, 2-7 3Pt, 3-3 FT), two rebounds, three assists and one steal across 33 minutes.
Simons recorded more turnovers (five) than assists (three) during Wednesday's blowout loss. The 25-year-old guard was one of the NBA's better outside shooters during his 46 regular-season appearances in 2023-24, converting 38.5 percent of 8.8 three-point attempts per contest. Considering Simons has not shot below 37.7 percent from deep since 2019-20, fantasy managers should not be worried about his poor outing on Opening Night.
Simons (ankle) is available and will start at shooting guard in Friday's preseason finale versus the Jazz, Sean Highkin of RoseGardenReport.com reports.
Simons was inactive for Portland's previous exhibition game due to an ankle issue. His availability Friday indicates he is healthy and will be good to go when the regular season tips off Wednesday versus the Warriors. He is expected to start alongside Scoot Henderson in the Trail Blazers' backcourt this season.
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Trail Blazers' Anfernee Simons: Won't play Sunday
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Simons (ankle) has been ruled out for Sunday's preseason matchup versus the Kings.
The 25-year-old missed Friday's preseason game against the Clippers due to minor ankle soreness, though coach Chauncey Billups said Friday that Simons is fine and was held out as a precautionary measure. The sharpshooter played in only 46 regular-season outings last season due to a laundry list of injuries including -- but not limited to -- a right thumb surgery, left knee tendinitis and an ankle sprain. Simons has not played in 70 or more regular-season games since the 2019-20 campaign. His next chance to suit up will be Friday against the Jazz.
