Portland Trail Blazers: Ranking the Top 5 Blazers under 25
Rob Ryan
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1. Anfernee Simons – 23 years old
When debating between Sharpe and Simons on who was number 1, it was a battle of production over potential. Using the old saying that “A bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush.” production won out. Simons is more of a known quantity right now than Sharpe is, but the former is nowhere near his ceiling yet,
Blazers fans saw flashes of that talent throughout Simons’ first 3 seasons. But it was last season when injuries to Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum finally allowed him to showcase that potential, and boy, did he showcase it.
After the calendar turned over to January, Simons averaged 23.4 points and 5.8 assists per game. Until his season ended in mid-march due to a knee injury, Simons established himself as a Star-level guard to be reckoned with.
He was an offensive weapon last year. He shot 44.3% from the field and 40.5% behind the arc. Even better, Simons nailed those baskets with opposing defenses mainly focused on stopping him.
Teams have to pay attention to Lillard once again, not to mention the newly acquired Jerami Grant on offense. How well will Simons shoot when defenses can’t double him?
Conclusion
This team is brimming with young talent. With only one player over 30, Rip City fans have to like the potential Portland has surrounding Lillard.
It will be interesting to see how the young players and offseason additions mesh with the team veterans. This roster isn’t finished yet. At some point during the season, Cronin will make a move to consolidate all this talent.
For the moment, though, it will be exciting to see which of these players made significant improvements to their game. Also, which ones will be part of the Portland Trail Blazers’ long-term solution to building a Championship contender.
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Who are your Top 5 Portland Trail Blazers under 25? Let us know in the comments section below.