Article on Anfernee Simons

[hoopsjock]

c'mon man....there has been a tsunami of "nice" written about Ant this off-season jabbering about "how-great-he's-going-to-be". That 'article' you're defending is one of dozens. It's over-the-top and typical of off-season-we're all-bored hype and pointing that out isn't nearly as 'bad' as the over-sensitive and defensive responses like yours right there. Oh, and by the way...it was just a joke for chrissakes; lighten up francis

for the 'record': I think Simons is going to be a pretty good player. I have no clue what his ceiling is. But while I think he's going to end up a good player, I think the odds are high he will struggle at times next season, perhaps a lot. I wouldn't be surprised with a Layman type of season where he looks great part of the time and looks like a scrub part of the time. The NBA scouts players that have an impact and teams come up with adjustments, often very effective ones. Simons doesn't even have a year of NCAA play as a foundation, and so far the roster construction makes it look like he's going to be tossed into the deep end of the pool

another thing: I believe a whole bunch of this hype deluge is from Olshey, both on the record and off the record. Maybe he's going to be proven right about Simons. But I hope if Simons does struggle this season to live up to the hype, it doesn't affect him in a negative way

Unless Olshey was planning on trading Simons, what reason would he have to be behind all this hype?

If it's to show how good of a GM he is, wouldn't hyping someone up this much potentially lead to disappointment? Lately Olshey seems more like the set low expectations type of guy than to over hype someone.Wouldn't it be better to hide Simons and have him surprise everyone next year?

 

[illmatic99]

This was during training camp last year. Dame knew then.

 

[wizenheimer]

Unless Olshey was planning on trading Simons, what reason would he have to be behind all this hype?

If it's to show how good of a GM he is, wouldn't hyping someone up this much potentially lead to disappointment? Lately Olshey seems more like the set low expectations type of guy than to over hype someone.Wouldn't it be better to hide Simons and have him surprise everyone next year?

yeah, I'm just making it up:

 

[Orion Bailey]

Is Simons creeping up on greatest Blazer ever?

Sounds like it.

 

[tlongII]

He was the best player in summer league. Doesn’t mean a lot but it means something to me.

 

[e_blazer]

c'mon man....there has been a tsunami of "nice" written about Ant this off-season jabbering about "how-great-he's-going-to-be". That 'article' you're defending is one of dozens. It's over-the-top and typical of off-season-we're all-bored hype and pointing that out isn't nearly as 'bad' as the over-sensitive and defensive responses like yours right there. Oh, and by the way...it was just a joke for chrissakes; lighten up francis

for the 'record': I think Simons is going to be a pretty good player. I have no clue what his ceiling is. But while I think he's going to end up a good player, I think the odds are high he will struggle at times next season, perhaps a lot. I wouldn't be surprised with a Layman type of season where he looks great part of the time and looks like a scrub part of the time. The NBA scouts players that have an impact and teams come up with adjustments, often very effective ones. Simons doesn't even have a year of NCAA play as a foundation, and so far the roster construction makes it look like he's going to be tossed into the deep end of the pool

another thing: I believe a whole bunch of this hype deluge is from Olshey, both on the record and off the record. Maybe he's going to be proven right about Simons. But I hope if Simons does struggle this season to live up to the hype, it doesn't affect him in a negative way

I know it was a “joke” at least in part, and so was my Debbie Downer response. Just seems to me that there has been that kind of comment this summer to all of the reports about Ant. I get that Olshey sold it pretty hard in that interview, but I don’t see that he has anything to gain by making as effusive of a claim about Simon’s talent if he doesn’t actually believe it. What does he gain if Simons plays like crap except looking like either stupid or a huckster? Based on comments I have seen from Dame, CJ and other coaches, the consensus seems to be that we got a real steal on Ant. Does that mean he won’t struggle at times? Of course not, but wouldn’t it be great if we’ve struck gold for once?

 

[wizenheimer]

I know it was a “joke” at least in part, and so was my Debbie Downer response. Just seems to me that there has been that kind of comment this summer to all of the reports about Ant. I get that Olshey sold it pretty hard in that interview, but I don’t see that he has anything to gain by making as effusive of a claim about Simon’s talent if he doesn’t actually believe it. What does he gain if Simons plays like crap except looking like either stupid or a huckster? Based on comments I have seen from Dame, CJ and other coaches, the consensus seems to be that we got a real steal on Ant. Does that mean he won’t struggle at times? Of course not, but wouldn’t it be great if we’ve struck gold for once?

I agree it would be great if Portland struck gold, for once, outside the lottery. In the last 10-15 years, I don't think they have. You have to go all the way back to Zach Randolph at #19 in 2001. They drafted Cliff Robinson at #36 in 1989; They used a 24th pick on Arvydas Sabonis and a 24th pick on Terry Porter...that was definitely striking gold. They struck bronze with Batum I guess

as for why Olshey may be hyping Simons, I don't know. It's entirely possible he believes everything he's saying, and he may be right. But it wasn't just that one blurp in the press conference. Olshey has been quoted a couple of times in articles praising Simons, and he made a point of praising Simons when he sat in for a quarter on the broadcast of a summer league game I watched. So it would seems a safe assumption he's saying the same things off the record, IMO

now, as I mentioned in the off-season there's a hard media search for something, anything, to write about. And the media is an echo chamber so maybe a lot of this is germinating from earlier hype

 

[TorturedBlazerFan]

I agree it would be great if Portland struck gold, for once, outside the lottery. In the last 10-15 years, I don't think they have. You have to go all the way back to Zach Randolph at #19 in 2001. They drafted Cliff Robinson at #36 in 1989; They used a 24th pick on Arvydas Sabonis and a 24th pick on Terry Porter...that was definitely striking gold. They struck bronze with Batum I guess

as for why Olshey may be hyping Simons, I don't know. It's entirely possible he believes everything he's saying, and he may be right. But it wasn't just that one blurp in the press conference. Olshey has been quoted a couple of times in articles praising Simons, and he made a point of praising Simons when he sat in for a quarter on the broadcast of a summer league game I watched. So it would seems a safe assumption he's saying the same things off the record, IMO

now, as I mentioned in the off-season there's a hard media search for something, anything, to write about. And the media is an echo chamber so maybe a lot of this is germinating from earlier hype

You want to hear someone hype Anfernee Simons, you should listen to some of Dame's comments about him, and even some of ET's. I think the entire organization really believes Simons is going to be a star someday. Could they all be wrong? Of course, but they seem to all be on the Simons bandwagon right now.

 

[SIeepwalker]

You want to hear someone hype Anfernee Simons, you should listen to some of Dame's comments about him, and even some of ET's. I think the entire organization really believes Simons is going to be a star someday. Could they all be wrong? Of course, but they seem to all be on the Simons bandwagon right now.

You mean Damian "Swanigan could be ROY" Lillard likes him ? Well that's great news !

 

[Wizard Mentor]

Ant, Whiteside, 538's 38 win prediction, and more. These are all reasons why I'm excited about the upcoming season.

 

[AldoTrapani]

I was informed the Outsiders was getting yanked off the air.

Thank god that show was trash

 

[SheedSoNasty]

You mean Damian "Swanigan could be ROY" Lillard likes him ? Well that's great news !

People were loving Swanigan after his first summer league... as was I. How wrong we were.

 

[crandc]

I know it was a “joke” at least in part, and so was my Debbie Downer response. Just seems to me that there has been that kind of comment this summer to all of the reports about Ant. I get that Olshey sold it pretty hard in that interview, but I don’t see that he has anything to gain by making as effusive of a claim about Simon’s talent if he doesn’t actually believe it. What does he gain if Simons plays like crap except looking like either stupid or a huckster? Based on comments I have seen from Dame, CJ and other coaches, the consensus seems to be that we got a real steal on Ant. Does that mean he won’t struggle at times? Of course not, but wouldn’t it be great if we’ve struck gold for once?

Agree with everything you said except " for once". Blazers have had good drafts many times. But struck pure gold with a certain Oaktown point guard...

 

[e_blazer]

Agree with everything you said except " for once". Blazers have had good drafts many times. But struck pure gold with a certain Oaktown point guard...

Oh, certainly, crandc. I meant non-lottery pick gold. It’s been awhile since we had one of those.

 

[BBert]

Is Simons creeping up on greatest Blazer ever?

Sounds like it.

I don't understand why they haven't retired his number yet

 

[BBert]

You want to hear someone hype Anfernee Simons, you should listen to some of Dame's comments about him, and even some of ET's. I think the entire organization really believes Simons is going to be a star someday. Could they all be wrong? Of course, but they seem to all be on the Simons bandwagon right now.

They all agree with me so they must be right

 

[Orion Bailey]

I don't understand why they haven't retired his number yet

He is still active, but i assure you, the very MOMENT he retires....

 

[BBert]

People were loving Swanigan after his first summer league... as was I. How wrong we were.

I was always on the Swanigan train....the train out of town that is. That pick was SMH from the beginning, then the Olshey hype that followed OMG. He should have played football

 

[TBpup]

Is Simons creeping up on greatest Blazer ever?

Sounds like it.

Can you imagine the hyperbole coming from Mike Barrett if he was still with the Blazers regarding Ant? Every Summer, some Blazers were the next coming of Wilt/Jordan/Magic/Bird all wrapped up into one. The sickly sweet syrup would be epic!

 

[PDXFonz]

https://www.sbnation.com/2019/7/25/...blazers-highlights-stats-nba-background-story

Good read, thanks for posting!

 

[ABM]

I really do like this kid. So nice to see he's already giving back..

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/spo...0190810-t26gg6cernfj5g5dz3c5ljun5y-story.html

Central Floridian Anfernee Simons honed powers of observation while getting limited court time as NBA rookie

Anfernee Simons was only a baby when he used to watch his father play basketball from his car seat.

If not the best seat in the house, it certainly provided a unique perspective.

As Simons developed into one of Central Florida’s top prospects, he didn’t watch much, at least from the sideline. Simons was too busy learning on the court until the Portland Trail Blazers took him with the 24th overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft.

"A lot of learning,'' Simons, an Altamonte Springs native, said of his first year in the NBA. "Just learning from different people, just becoming a better player and smarter player.''

Simons, who turned 20 in June, is hosting his first basketball camp at Lake Brantley this weekend. He and other instructors worked with youths ages 7-13 on Saturday and will focus on ages 14-18 on Sunday before Simons will donate backpacks and school supplies at an event on International Drive.

"I wanted to come back to the gym where I basically started playing organized basketball,'' Simons said. "It’s good for the community as well, just to show that you can aspire to be somebody, even from here.'' (CONTINUED......)

 

[illmatic99]

This is from 2 years ago, and I'm just now seeing it. This is ridiculous athleticism and power from a 17 yr old.

Holy hell. 6:05 is my favorite.

 

[KingSpeed]

Yo, part Klay Thompson part Dame Lillard. Sounds like a future Hall of Famer to me.

 

[illmatic99]

 

[Driew]

NO and Woj are definitely best friends.