NBA All-Star Weekend: Predictions for slam dunk, 3-point contest, draft
NBA All-Star Weekend 2023 tips off on Friday. Here are our predictions for the weekend's biggest events.FEBRUARY 16, 2023
ANFERNEE SIMONS #1 - SHOOTING GUARD - PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS
15.6 PPG •
2.0 RPG •
3.9 APG
15.6 PPG
2.0 RPG
3.9 APG
Blazers SG Anfernee Simons (ankle) to have MRI Portland Trail Blazers shooting guard Anfernee Simons will undergo an MRI exam on his injured right ankle Thursday, ESPN and The Oregonian r...
FEBRUARY 15, 2023 • CHARLOTTEOBSERVER.COM
MRI for ankle on tap Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups said after Tuesday's 126-101 loss to the Wizards that X-rays on Simons' sprained right ankle returned negative, but the shooting guard is...
Impact Though Billups expressed optimism that Simons has avoided a long-term injury, the coach admitted the injury the 23-year-old suffered late in the third quarter "didn't look awesome," per Aaron J. Fentress of The Oregonian. The upcoming MRI will ultimately reveal the severity of Simons' ankle sprain, but at this stage, fantasy managers should be prepared for the possibility that he isn't ready to play when the Trail Blazers play their first game out of the All-Star break Feb. 23 versus the Kings. Shaedon Sharpe and newly acquired wings Matisse Thybulle and Cam Reddish could all benefit from increased playing time if Simons is forced to miss time with the ankle injury.
FEBRUARY 15, 2023 • ROTOWIRE
Kuzma returns from injury and Wizards top Blazers 126-101
Kyle Kuzma returned from an ankle sprain and scored 33 points, including six 3-pointers, to lead the Washington Wizards to a 126-101 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Tues...FEBRUARY 15, 2023 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Won't return Tuesday Simons is out for the remainder of Tuesday's game versus the Wizards due to a right ankle sprain.
Impact Simons suffered his injury against Washington late in the third quarter. There is no indication of his return timetable. His next chance to suit up will be Feb. 23 against Sacramento.
FEBRUARY 15, 2023 • ROTOWIRE
Exits game with injury Simons left Tuesday's game versus Wizards with an apparent lower left leg injury, Josh Robbins of The Athletic reports.
Impact Simons left Tuesday's game late in the third quarter after tallying 17 points, three assists, two rebounds and one steal in 27 minutes. If he's unable to return, his next chance to suit up will be after the All-Star break Feb. 23 versus the Kings.
FEBRUARY 15, 2023 • ROTOWIRE
Another quiet performance Simons had 14 points (6-15 FG, 2-5 3Pt), three rebounds and six assists across 28 minutes during Monday's 127-115 victory over the Lakers.
Impact Though the Blazers' offense as a whole hummed along in the blowout win, Simons had another poor shooting performance, making only six of 15 field-goal attempts. He's shooting just 31.7 percent from the field and averaging a meager 12.0 points over his past three contests, though he's somewhat compensated by tallying exactly six assists in each of those games. Simons should turn things back around eventually, as he was averaging 23.9 points on 55.2 percent shooting in the nine contests prior to his recent mini-slump.
FEBRUARY 14, 2023 • ROTOWIRE
Gilgeous-Alexander has 44, Thunder top Trail Blazers 138-129
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 44 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 138-129 victory over the Portland Trail BlazersFEBRUARY 11, 2023 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Totals 21 points in loss Simons closed Monday's 127-108 loss to the Bucks with 21 points (8-16 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 4-4 FT), five assists and one steal over 35 minutes.
Impact The Blazers collectively struggled on offense Monday, going 9-for-36 from three-point range and hitting just 40.7 percent of their field-goal attempts. Simons was a bright spot, as he made half of his 16 tries from the field and all four of his free-throw attempts en route to 21 points. It was his fifth straight performance of 20-plus points, and he's averaging 25.6 points on 56.6 percent shooting over that span.
FEBRUARY 7, 2023 • ROTOWIRE
Milwaukee visits Portland after Lillard's 40-point outing
Portland hosts the Milwaukee Bucks after Damian Lillard scored 40 points in the Portland Trail Blazers' 129-121 loss to the Chicago BullsFEBRUARY 5, 2023 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Hot shooting continues Saturday Simons contributed 27 points (10-18 FG, 5-12 3Pt, 2-2 FT) and five assists over 38 minutes during Saturday's 129-121 loss to Chicago.
Impact Simons remained hot in the loss, scoring at least 20 points for the fourth consecutive game. Over that period, he is averaging 5.5 three-pointers, shooting well in excess of 50 percent from the field. His lack of peripheral numbers remains a concern, especially on the defensive end, where he is averaging 0.9 combined steals and blocks. He is still a clear must-roster player, but given his recent uptick in scoring, managers could consider trying to sell him off for a top-40 player.
FEBRUARY 5, 2023 • ROTOWIRE
Zach LaVine scores 36 as Bulls beat Trail Blazers 129-121
Zach LaVine scored 36 points, DeMar DeRozan had 27 and the Chicago Bulls topped Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers 129-121FEBRUARY 5, 2023 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Leads team in scoring Simons racked up 33 points (11-19 FG, 9-12 3Pt, 2-2 FT), five rebounds, six assists and one steal in 37 minutes during Friday's 124-116 victory over the Wizards.
Impact Simons came into Friday contest ranking seventh in the NBA with 3.6 three-pointers made per game. He put on a shooting clinic against Washington, going 9-for-12 from downtown, pacing the Trail Blazers in scoring. He put up 20 points in the third quarter on the back of six made threes as Portland erased a 20-point deficit. Portland has now won three straight games, and Simons has gone over 20 points with three-plus three-pointers made in all three contests. His fantasy value mainly comes on the offensive end, and with Jusuf Nurkic (calf) out with injury, he could be in line for an increased role on offense.
FEBRUARY 4, 2023 • ROTOWIRE
Blazers rally from 20 down to end Wizards' win streak
Anfernee Simons scored 20 of his 33 points in the third quarter and the Portland Trail Blazers erased a 20-point deficit, snapping Washington’s six-game winning streak with a 124-1...FEBRUARY 4, 2023 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
NBA Friday Night DFS Picks 2/3: DraftKings lineup, sleepers for tonight's daily fantasy basketball tournaments Get ready for Friday night in the NBA by checking our DraftKings lineup, with All-Star snub James Harden anchoring a balanced squad that als...
FEBRUARY 3, 2023 • SPORTINGNEWS.COM
NBA Friday Night DFS Picks 2/3: DraftKings lineup, sleepers for tonight's daily fantasy basketball tournaments Get ready for Friday night in the NBA by checking our DraftKings lineup, with All-Star snub James Harden anchoring a balanced squad that als...
FEBRUARY 3, 2023 • SPORTINGNEWS.COM
Pops for 26 against Grizzlies Simons ended with 26 points (10-18 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 3-3 FT), two rebounds and four assists over 33 minutes during Wednesday's 122-112 victory over Memphis.
Impact While Simons took a back seat to Damian Lillard in the scoring department once again, Portland's starting backcourt still accounted for 55.7 percent of the team's scoring on the night. Simons has effectively replaced CJ McCollum as the Robin to Lillard's Batman, and over the last 10 games the younger guard is averaging 20.5 points, 4.1 assists, 3.0 threes and 2.4 boards.
FEBRUARY 2, 2023 • ROTOWIRE
Lillard, Simons lead Trail Blazers past Grizzlies, 122-112
Damian Lillard had 42 points and 10 assists, Anfernee Simons added 26 points and the Portland Trail Blazers rallied to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 122-112 on Wednesday nightFEBRUARY 2, 2023 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Trail Blazers' Anfernee Simons flashes improvement born from simplification The Blazers guard has averaged nearly seven assists over the team's last three games.
FEBRUARY 1, 2023 • OREGONLIVE.COM
Serves as team's top facilitator Simons finished Monday's 129-125 win over the Hawks with 21 points (8-12 FG, 5-8 3Pt), seven assists, one rebound and one block in 33 minutes.
Impact While Damian Lillard (42 points) once again shouldered the offensive load for Portland, Simons stepped up as a facilitator while finishing one point behind Jerami Grant for second place on the team in scoring. Simons' production remains highly concentrated in the points, assists and three-pointers categories, but he was able to increase his overall value by showing improved efficiency in January (48.2 percent from the field on 14.8 attempts per game and 90.7 percent from the free-throw line on 2.9 attempts per contest).
JANUARY 31, 2023 • ROTOWIRE
Blazers beat Hawks as Anfernee Simons takes heed to new credo: Keep it simple Simons has seven assists and one turnover, continuing a trend that started after a January meeting in coach Chauncey Billups' office.
JANUARY 31, 2023 • THEATHLETIC.COM
Lillard scores 42 as Trail Blazers hold off Hawks 129-125
Damian Lillard scored 42 points, Anfernee Simons hit a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 34 seconds left and the Portland Trail Blazers held off the Atlanta Hawks 129-125JANUARY 31, 2023 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Provides point per minute in win Simons finished with 26 points (9-15 FG, 4-7 3Pt, 4-4 FT), one rebound, one assist and one steal in 27 minutes in Monday's 147-127 win over the Spurs.
Impact Though he saw his fewest minutes since Dec. 16 due to the blowout nature of the contest, Simons still managed to reach the 25-point mark in both ends of the Trail Blazers' back-to-back set after he popped for 31 points on 12-for-20 shooting from the field in Sunday's 121-112 loss to the Lakers. As usual, however, Simons provided little production beyond the points and three-pointers categories, restricting his overall fantasy upside.
JANUARY 24, 2023 • ROTOWIRE
James scores 37, Lakers rally past Trail Blazers 121-112
LeBron James had 37 points and 11 rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers rallied in the second half to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 121-112JANUARY 23, 2023 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Quiet production in loss Simons registered 16 points (6-15 FG, 2-7 3Pt, 2-2 FT), one rebound and three assists in 36 minutes during Thursday's 105-95 loss to Philadelphia.
Impact Simons finished as Portland's third-leading scorer in the contest, but he shot poorly from the field and contributed very little in the way of peripheral stats. The guard committed more turnovers (five) than rebounds (one) and assists (three) combined, and the Blazers were outscored by 11 while he was on the court. Simons remains a standout source of scoring and triples in fantasy, but his production elsewhere will likely continue to be limited.
JANUARY 20, 2023 • ROTOWIRE
