What Happened To Anfernee Simons? Portland Worries As 24YO Starlet Wobbles To Locker Room Vs Clippers

The Portland Trail Blazers met the Los Angeles Clippers for a faceoff barely a few hours ago. Despite the game taking place on the Blazers’ home turf, the Clippers carried the offensive advantage by taking the lead during the first and the second quarter. The expectations were high for Blazers shooting guard Anfernee Simons, the lead average scorer for the team this season. However, any hopes that they had for the player didn’t take long to crumble to dust.

During the 3rd quarter, after making an assist pass to Toumani Camara, Simons was seen limping on the court after developing an injury in his left knee. It didn’t take long for him after that to opt out of the game. A social media post from Underdog NBA provided an update during the game, stating “Status alert: Anfernee Simons (knee) won’t return Friday.” The player had been suffering from left knee tendinitis in the past, but he had been cleared for the same before this recent game. With the game having concluded a few minutes ago, fans will now be hoping to receive an update on the injury from any of the player’s teammates or the Blazers coach.

Despite being the team’s best performer this year, Anfernee Simons delivered one of his worst performances during the Clippers clash. During his 22 minutes on the court, the player only managed to add 3 points, 0 rebounds and 6 assists to the team’s overall score. It can’t be said for sure whether his poor performance resulted from his knee injury. However, Simons’ lack of a good offensive play placed his team at a disadvantage against a team filled with scorers like Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, James Harden and Terance Mann. Ultimately, the Clippers managed to secure the win through a score of 125-117.

How has Anfernee Simons performed this season?

The Portland Trail Blazers, with a 19-51 record, currently possess the 2nd worst score of any Western Conference team this season. However, much of the blame cannot be attributed to Anfernee Simons, whose performance has significantly improved since his last few years. Only two seasons ago, Simons scored an average of 17.3 points, 2.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. The same average has now increased to 22.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 5.5 assists. He scored 30+ points in 11 out of his 46 games this season.

The Blazers have a meager chance of making it to the playoffs now. However, to leave a lasting mark during the play-in series, they will require the assistance of Anfernee Simons. Only time will tell whether or not this will be possible.

READ MORE: Anfernee Simons Breaks Down How Blazers Ended Stephen Curry’s “Crazy” Streak