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Twenty-three-year-old shooting guard Anfernee Simons has developed into a reliable scorer for the Portland Trail Blazers since being drafted. He was selected as the 24th overall pick by Portland in 2018.
However, prior to the 2018 NBA Draft, Simons was considered a risky prospect. He decided to skip college, despite multiple offers, in order to enter the draft straight out of high school, which resulted in his reputation.
Simons had previously attended IMG Academy as a post-graduate. He was rated as a 5-star recruit and was ranked as the 7th-best player in the 2018 class by 247Sports.
Before deciding to skip college, Simons had a list of his preferred college destinations. This included the University of South Carolina, North Carolina State University, the University of Tennessee, and the University of Florida. However, he later announced his decision to skip college in March of 2018.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski initially broke the news through agents Drew Rosenhaus and Bobby Petriella.
Anfernee Simons then explained his decision to skip college via Evan Daniels of 247Sports.
"After discussing the matter with my parents, I have decided to forgo the opportunity to play in the NCAA and to instead enter the NBA Draft.
"I am very thankful for the support I received at IMG Academy and from the NCAA coaches who recruited me. I am ready and excited to pursue my dream of playing in the NBA," Simons said.
Simons was only draft eligible because he was already 19 and one year removed from high school by the time of the 2018 NBA Draft. It is essentially a loophole in the draft process that is rarely exploited.
Anfernee Simons became just the third high school player since 2015 to be drafted in the NBA, behind Thon Maker and Satnam Singh Bhamara. Simons also became the first American to be drafted directly out of high school since the league first implemented draft age restrictions in 2005.
Anfernee Simons’ NBA career so far
Anfernee Simons didn’t get much playing time to start his career with the Portland Trail Blazers.
In 154 games over his first three seasons, Simons averaged just 7.5 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game on 41.0% shooting. He also played just 17.5 minutes per game, mostly in a bench role.
However, last season, Simons broke out for Portland, averaging 17.3 points, 2.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game on 44.3% shooting over 57 games. His time on the floor also increased to 29.5 minutes per game.
Simons’ development also allowed the Blazers to move on from long-time veteran shooting guard CJ McCollum. The team traded McCollum to the New Orleans Pelicans in February. Simons now looks like the Blazers' starting shooting guard of the future next to superstar point guard Damian Lillard. Simons even recently signed a four-year, $100 million contract with the Blazers.
With Anfernee Simons starting this season, Portland has currently gotten off to a league-best 4-0 start. The Blazers will look to continue to redeem themselves following a disappointing injury-riddled 27-win season last year.
