Named after Penny Hardaway youngster Anfernee Simons skipped college but enters the NBA Draft via a non traditional method.
When considering NBA Draft prospects one common asset teams seem to give more credence to is youth. Sometimes that’s an unfair assessment because experience is also a vital asset.
From a personal standpoint I think age is a relevant issue for point guards more so than other positions. Many teams aren’t deep with players who can create their own shots, let alone for their teammates. Calmness under pressure and high basketball IQ generally progresses with experience.
One need only look at players like Malcolm Brogdon and Fred VanVleet to understand this point. Both players got the full college experience and entered the draft as seniors and subsequently became key contributors for their squads often appearing to play with a wisdom beyond their years.
Youth vs experience:
That said, for the other four positional spots there is a relevant argument to be made that youth is preferred. The reason for this is franchises can then nurture and develop the prospect in their system in the manner they want. And, every once in a while a rare prospect comes along who defies the typical age restrictions. Perhaps not old enough to fit among the lottery picks, but too talented to pass up in the first round.
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Anfernee Simons falls into that rare territory having skipped college. This wasn’t an immediate choice for the youngster. Rather, it arose out of necessity. Simons had commited to play at Louisville, but then the whole NCAA scandal happened with the top tier school at the center of the investigation. Although Simons was approached by other interested programs he elected to attend IMG Prep instead. You may recall Thon Maker did something similar prior to his draft year when he attended the Athlete Institute located in Orangeville, Ontario, Canada (just outside Toronto).
At IMG Simons honed his skills and privately prepped for the draft. Having just turned 19 this past week (June 8) Simons may not be the most talented combo guard in the draft, but his skillset and untapped ceiling make him an intriguing prospect.
Player specifics:
- Height: 6’3.5″
- Weight: 183 lbs
- Wingspan: 6’7″
- Position:Combo Guard
- Age:19 (just turned on June 8)
- NOTE no college –IMG Academy
- High School direct: Montverde Academy
- Home town: Altamonte Springs, Florida
Statline:
Without typical college or overseas stats to cite, the stats below reflect his ‘Team Breakdown production from the Under Armour Association program.
Under Armour Association Stats:
Points: 20.4
Field Goal Efficiency: 43.9 percent
3-Point Efficiency: 42.2 percent averaging 3.3 made 3-pointers per game
Free Throw Efficiency: 79.1 percent
Assists per game: 1.3
Rebounds per game: 5.5
Steals per game: 1.3
Skills:
Understandably the pundits have varying views on where the youngster should be drafted. Without a year of organized college coaching and growth we’re left to wonder how successful private tutorship has been. Reports so far indicate the ascent has been rapid and that Simons displays a high basketball I.Q.
Of his assets his athleticism is earmarked near the top. Possessing a coveted combination of fluidity mixed with quickness leads to multiple benefits. First of all, the quickness aids in his rebounding (solid for his position) and ability to create steals.
The same attributes allow him to glide in transition to finish above the rim or effectively change directions via drives. Based on this latter move it affords Simons the opportunity to create space for a pull up jumper of which he”s surprisingly effective.
Simons perimeter shooting is above par, but yet to be tested. Suffice to say he’s ahead of the curve because he has offensive versatility. Again, he’s a bit of an unknown, but the signs point to the potential to become a 3 and D specialist.
Weaknesses:
While the Florida native’s age is an asset for teams who want to develop him in their system his inexperience, initially at least, will also serve as a his greatest deterrent. Albeit all rookies have a learning curve, but Simons is behind virtually everyone in his draft class.
For all his pluses offensively his slight frame will reek havoc with his efficiency as stronger, heavier opponents await at the pro level. He already has a propensity to back aware from contact in the paint, so the expectation is this bad habit will increase facing pros.
As a combo guard it would behoove him to work on his ball handling and playmaking skills. He arrives with a sub standard assist rate and inconsistency in creating for others.
If Simons is lucky he’ll be drafted by a team with a solid development program. Prior to training camp the combo guard needs to hit he gym, run copious dribbling and passing drills and spend as much time as possible in the film room.
Pro comparison:
The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor tosses out three quality pros as his comparison. Two of these are more offensive oriented (Lou Williams, D’Angelo Russell) while the third (Darren Collison) is a scrappy two-way contributor.
Hoop Diamonds suggests the youngster’s doppelganger is Markelle Fultz. Depending on how you perceive that association it could be a very good or very bad thing.
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This wide ranging spectrum of pro comparisons speaks to how little is known of the youngster. Moreover, it’s hard to project a ceiling for a teenager without a full body of work to pull from. A scan of players who aren’t the primary scorers on their teams but possess top 3-and-D games tend to be on the taller side. For example Trevor Ariza (6’8″) Robert Covington (6’9″) and Danny Green (6’6″) are all two to six inches taller than Simons.
As far as guards who play 3-and-D perhaps channeling Wes Matthews (6’5″) or Patrick Beverley (6’1″) would be a good choice for the youngster.
Current ranking:
ESPN: 38th
The Ringer: 35th
Draft Net: 15th
CBS Sports:25th
Sports Illustrated: 24th
Bleacher Report: 19th
Basketball Insider: 37th
Sporting News: 27th
Fit with OKC Thunder:
As an NBA draft prospect Anfernee Simons is what you might deem a “flyer”. In other words it’s his potential and untapped ceiling teams are investing in.
The risk is he never comes close to harnessing his potential and the reward is the payout if all the initial eye tests are substantiated via results. Clearly, Simons will need to spend at least one full season in the G-League (maybe more) developing.
OKC already have a young projected 3 and D player (Terrance Ferguson) in development, so adding a similar player seems redundant. Furthermore, the Thunder need front court help and ideally more grizzled prospects who could contribute immediately.
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GM Sam Presti may be able to pair his picks to move up for the right prospect, Yet, for as much as Simons may pay out long term OKC probably can’t afford to wait two or three years for that to occur.