Tag: anfernee simons

Chauncey Billups still sees potential star in Houston’s Jalen Green

“I think he’s gonna be just fine,” Blazers coach Chauncey Billups says of slumping Rockets guard Jalen Green. “He’s definitely got a chance to be a star.”

When compared to his first two NBA seasons, 2023-24 is a statistical step back for third-year Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green.

After posting a team-high 22.1 points per game last season on 41.7% shooting and 33.8% from 3-point range, those numbers have dipped to 17.1 points on 39.7% shooting (32.0% on 3-pointers) this year.

But there are some extenuating circumstances. For starters, there’s a new coach, Ime Udoka, and a new system.

Beyond that, in Green’s first two NBA seasons, the Rockets went 20-62 and 22-60, respectively. This year, Houston (20-22) has become competitive. With that jump comes higher expectations and a new reality, such as Udoka occasionally keeping Green out of his closing lineup — should the 21-year-old be having a bad night.

The Portland Trail Blazers, who faced Green and the Rockets on Wednesday night in Houston, have their own example of a young shooting guard who didn’t break out until his fourth NBA season.

Over his first three NBA seasons, Anfernee Simons averaged 7.5 points per game. Starting with Season 4, however, Simons has bumped that to an average of approximately 20 points per game on strong efficiency (44.1% FG, 38.9% on 3-pointers), and he’s averaging a career-high 22.5 points and 4.8 assists this season.

Chauncey Billups, a former guard who didn’t fully hit his stride until landing on his fifth NBA team in Detroit, coaches Simons with the Trail Blazers. In pregame comments to reporters from Toyota Center, Billups made it clear he’s still a believer in what Green can do with the Rockets, and he still sees a path to stardom for the No. 2 pick from the first round of the 2021 NBA draft.

Here’s what Billups told Rockets Wire of Green’s future:

I just think that Jalen kid is uber-talented. He’s uber-aggressive out there.

It takes guards a lot more time. I would say point guards, more, but even in his position, as a two guard. Because when you get to this league, for the first time, you’re playing against players that are better than you. You’ve been the best on your team since you’ve been playing, but then you get here, and you’ve got to find a way to try to do that again. But you’ve also got teammates that are trying to prove things, too. So, it can’t just be about you. You’ve got to learn how to sacrifice, and learn how to be in that space.

In this case, he went through a change with the coach, and now he’s learning that system and learning how to play with some of those veterans. I think he’s gonna be just fine. He’s definitely got a chance to be a star.

With Green and Simons facing each other, the tip between the Rockets and Trail Blazers (12-31) is 7 p.m. Central.

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Damian Lillard praises Tre Mann, compares him to Anfernee Simons

Damian Lillard praises Tre Mann, compares him to Anfernee Simons.

One of the downsides of drafting well in a rebuild is having to pull the plug on young prospects sooner than anticipated. That’s been the case with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Tre Mann.

After being drafted No. 18 in the 2021 NBA draft, Mann’s been phased out of OKC’s rotation in his third season due to an abundant amount of talent added since then.

In his first two seasons, Mann averaged nine points on 39.3% shooting and 2.6 rebounds. He’s shot 33.8% from 3 on 4.2 attempts. This season, he’s tallied just 47 total minutes in six appearances.

Mann’s fall from the Thunder’s rotation speaks more about his teammates than it does him. The third-year guard has shown flashes of being a potent scorer, but the opportunities to develop simply aren’t there like they were his first two years.

It appears a divorce is inevitable between both parties, but that doesn’t mean Mann’s career is a lost cause. According to Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard, he still believes the 22-year-old can turn it around in a new setting.

“I don’t know if it’s gonna be in Oklahoma City but wherever he’s at, Tre Mann is nice,” Lillard said in a recent podcast appearance. “When he get an opportunity somewhere, I’m telling you… He reminds me like on how he do stuff and what he’s capable of, it reminds me of how (Anfernee Simons) is. Like the same thing I saw in Ant, is how I saw him.”

The endorsement meant a lot to Mann as he reshared the quote on his Instagram story. Every rebuild has a few players who get away from a team, perhaps Mann can be that for OKC if/when he joins a new team.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this article mentioned Anthony Edwards as the player Lillard referred to. It was not him. Instead, it was Lillard’s former teammate Anfernee Simons, who’s with the Portland Trail Blazers.

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Projected starting lineup for the Trail Blazers after trading Damian Lillard and Jusuf Nurkic

This is a fun team that suddenly has a lot of youth and draft picks.

The Portland Trail Blazers traded longtime star Damian Lillard and got quite a hefty package of players and picks back in return.

Portland also moved on from Jusuf Nurkic, Nassir Little and Keon Johnson. But in return, they received former No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton as their new big man of the future. In addition, they now have new role players such as Robert Williams and Malcolm Brogdon.

Meanwhile, the Trail Blazers have added three future first-round draft picks and two future pick swaps as part of the series of transactions.

The moves give an opportunity for 19-year-old guard Scoot Henderson to control the offense. Meanwhile, they also have increased opportunities for Shaedon Sharpe (20 years old) and Anfernee Simons (24 years old) as well.

Williams is expected to stay on the roster, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Brogdon, meanwhile, could potentially get traded but also has a chance to stay in Portland as a veteran leader.

Another player who may crack the starting five for the Trail Blazers is Matisse Thybulle. Both he and Williams are strong defenders who could potentially provide either depth off the bench or in the first unit.

Despite a surprisingly large contract offered to Jerami Grant during the offseason, Portland has an otherwise exciting young roster to build around for the future.

Mock trade has Brooklyn Nets trading for Tyler Herro and Anfernee Simons

In this mock trade suggested by Quenton Albertie of ClutchPoints, the Brooklyn Nets would be trading for Tyler Herro and Anfernee Simons.

The Brooklyn Nets are looking to make it back to the playoffs next season with the hope of winning a series or two to give the fanbase something to cheer about. One action that could increase their chances of achieving that goal would be to pull off a massive trade this offseason.

It should be noted that Brooklyn was once in the running to trade for Portland Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard, but now that his camp has made it clear that he only wants to play for the Miami Heat, the Nets have to look elsewhere for their big trade of the summer. Unfortunately, there isn’t a bigger name than Lillard that Brooklyn has a good chance of trading for so they may have to trade for more than one player.

Nets Wire has covered that there are some in the media who believe that Brooklyn should turn their focus to getting someone like Heat guard Tyler Herro. Well, this mock trade suggested by Quenton Albertie of ClutchPoints has Brooklyn trading for Herro and then some:

Mock trade has Nets trading Dorian Finney-Smith for Anfernee Simons

The Brooklyn Nets would be trading Dorian Finney-Smith and others for Anfernee Simons and Keon Johnson in this mock trade proposed by ESPN’s Kevin Pelton.

The Brooklyn Nets have now completed their 2023 NBA Draft by adding three players and having an formal press conference on Friday to introduce them to the masses. With that taken care of, Brooklyn can now look forward to the rest of their offseason check list including possible trades to make the team better.

While the Nets were reportedly interested in using their first-round picks to either move up in the draft or get a star-level player in return, neither of those outcomes happened as Brooklyn used both of their picks on players in Noah Clowney (21st overall) and Dariq Whitehead (22nd overall) that they intend to keep with the franchise for years to come.

This doesn’t eliminate the possibility of the Nets pulling off a trade this season, but now, teams have to be interested in Brooklyn’s future picks and/or players that are on the roster. This mock trade proposed by ESPN’s Kevin Pelton has the Nets trading a haul to get Portland Trail Blazers guards Anfernee Simons and Keon Johnson in a three-team deal:

Celtics trade ideas: Jaylen Brown for Anfernee Simons and Portland’s No. 3 pick

Is such a move even necessary so soon, or is this a panic trade?

With the arrival of the NBA’s 2023 offseason, you can expect a bevy of trade proposals from fans and analysts looking to play armchair general manager in pursuit of improving the Celtics’ roster to contend for a title next season.

In the latest episode of the CLNS Media “Garden Report” podcast, the crew talks about the offseason, the league’s new collective bargaining agreement, and the potential cap situation with Jaylen Brown being eligible for a nearly $300 million supermax contract extension just a season ahead of Jayson Tatum being eligible for an even larger extension.

If — for one reason or another — the Celtics move on from Brown, what are some of the deals they could or should pursue?

First on the docket is a trade suggested by The Ringer which would send Jaylen Brown to the Portland Trail Blazers for Anfernee Simons and the No. 3 overall pick in this year’s draft. Would the Celtics do this deal? The gang discusses in the video embedded below.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Would you trade Jaylen Brown for the Portland Trail Blazers’ No. 3 pick and Anfernee Simons?

Host of the CLNS Media “Garden Report” podcast John Zannis”absolutely” would.

As the Boston Celtics head into an offseason of questions, will the team make significant changes to their roster to set the stage for another run at a title in the 2023-24 NBA season.

The biggest decision that could alter the trajectory of the franchise involves star forward Jaylen Brown, who became supermax eligible after earning second-team All-NBA honors.

With a massive $295 million dollar contract extension on the table, would either side walk away from that deal? If so, should the Celtics trade Brown to avoid losing him for nothing in unrestricted free agency?

The hosts of the CLNS Media “Garden Report” podcast, John Zannis and Bobby Manning, recently discuss a hypothetical trade to such an end that has been getting a fair amount of currency in the broader NBA media sphere of late.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Notre Dame commit Cole Certa heading to IMG Academy

Nice opportunity for him.

A month ago, Notre Dame received its first 2024 recruiting class commit in shooting guard [autotag]Cole Certa[/autotag]. He was recruited out of Bloomington Central Catholic in Illinois. But he has decided that that school is no longer sufficient to continue his athletic growth. He has announced that his final year before joining the Irish will be sent at IMG Academy, the famous sports prep school in Bradenton, Florida:

Certa, a three-star recruit weighing in at 6-foot-4 and 165 pounds, is heading to a school that has produced some quality talent. Among them are Purdue star and reigning national player of the year Zach Edey and North Carolina’s Armando Bacot. Several alumni also have gone onto the NBA, including Anfernee Simons, Dwight Powell, Josh Green and Jonathan Isaac. What’s more, Kyle Brey, son of former Irish coach [autotag]Mike Brey[/autotag], is the coach of the varsity football team.

While Certa’s decision is a loss for the state of Illinois, it’s necessary for him to take the next step in his game. Here’s hoping it works out for him and eventually, the Irish.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Why the Blazers have to trade the No. 3 pick (Scoot Henderson?) to help Damian Lillard win now

Can they get Mikal Bridges from Brooklyn?

The Portland Trail Blazers landed the No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. But it doesn’t seem likely they will sprint to the podium to use it.

Portland may create a layer of mystery about the process and continue their pre-draft workouts, hosting top prospects such as Scoot Henderson, Brandon Miller, Cameron Whitmore, Amen Thompson, and Ausar Thompson. Maybe they will fall in love with one of these players in the process.

We had Charlotte select Miller at No. 2 overall in our latest mock draft. which left Portland to draft Henderson. But according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, rival executives aren’t so convinced and believe this pick is “potential trade bait” for the Blazers to improve their roster.

The reason is quite simple: Damian Lillard. Here is what Lillard told Sean Highkin last month (via Rose Garden Report)

“I’m just not interested in that. That’s not a secret,” Lillard said. “I want a chance to go for it. And if the route is to (draft youth), then that’s not my route.”

Portland can certainly add either Henderson or Miller to a young core that also includes Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe, and Nassir Little.

But the reality is that, at that point, Lillard may reach a breaking point with the organization. Lillard turns 33 years old next season and his timeline does not look the same as the players mentioned above.

Jason Quick asked Lillard directly if these thoughts have changed in the past month. The seven-time All-Star didn’t respond (via The Athletic):

“Lillard didn’t return a message on Tuesday after Portland was awarded the third pick. I was curious how the news hit him, and whether his end-of-the-season directive about drafting a young player still held true. Knowing Lillard, he never says anything without believing it, and without putting some thought into it, so my sense is he still rejects the idea of using the pick.”

What could a package that includes the No. 3 overall pick, Simons (who is a quality young player ideal for salary-matching purposes), and potentially Little or Jusuf Nurkic return?

The No. 3 overall pick and Simons may be enough to reach the salary thresholds to return an All-Star caliber player to play alongside Lillard.

Some players who could hear their names in Portland rumors include big men like Pascal Siakam, Karl-Anthony Towns, Deandre Ayton and wings like Mikal Bridges, Bradley Beal, Zach LaVine, and OG Anunoby.

Bridges may be the perfect target for Portland because he can be the ace defender Lillard has always needed while also offering secondary creation upside and floor spacing as an offensive initiator.

Are there any players they could land that would entice them to include Sharpe, who has the most value in the trade market? That seems unlikely unless someone like Joel Embiid or Jaylen Brown demands a trade.

Either way, Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin seems thrilled about the opportunity to improve his roster (via Blazer’s Edge):

“We’re borderline anxious to push all of our chips in. We cannot wait for that moment to happen, it just hasn’t come up yet. It’s my job to be the voice of reason, to be very diligent to not make a big mistake, to not get the wrong guy, to not overpay, to not give up on somebody that could eventually become a really good player. I’ve got to be really smart about this because it’s trying to thread a really thin needle here. We don’t have room for error, we need to get this right. We wanna maximize Damian’s time.”

We’ll see if Cronin is as aggressive as he says, but if so, the Trail Blazers could theoretically trot out a starting lineup next year highlighted by Lillard, Bridges (or someone of that caliber), Sharpe, and Grant.

It’s a notable improvement, of course, and a team likely to make the playoffs with the right role players surrounding on the roster. But even then, however, is that enough to contend for a championship?

Or would it be better to just build around either Henderson (or another top available prospect) as well as Sharpe, Simons, Little, and other young players in Portland?

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Mock trade has Nets trading Mikal Bridges for Anfernee Simons

This mock trade involves the Brooklyn Nets and the Portland Trail Blazers, but not regarding Damian Lillard.

The Brooklyn Nets are in the midst of an important offseason for their franchise as they have several matters that they have to address. Brooklyn has to figure out how much they’re willing to pay to retain restricted free-agent Cam Johnson given that he’s expected to command a contract of at least $20 million per season.

Also, there is the looming issue of injured guard Ben Simmons with regards to how he fits in with the team moving forward. Simmons played just 42 games in the 2022-23 season thanks to a variety of injuries that he suffered through, including a nerve impingement in his back that ended his season prematurely in March.

Above all else, the Nets have to figure out which direction they want to go in. As of right now, the team is good enough to be a playoff team, but Brooklyn will have to decide if that is good enough. In the meantime, it is time to ponder a mock trade suggested by Bleacher Report: