Blazers' Anfernee Simons Suffers Hand Sprain, Could Play Despite Significant Injury

Matt Levine | Nov 22, 2024

The Portland Trail Blazers have started the new NBA season with a record of 6-9, showing more fight than expected. Portland entered the season under the expectation that they would once again be at the bottom of the Western Conference standings.

The Trail Blazers finished last season with a record of 21-61 but were hopeful for better results this year. So far, they have seen them from the young core that they have but there is still a long way to go.

Portland has played multiple games without star guard Anfernee Simons as he has dealt with different issues to start the year. Simons recently got back on the court after an illness sidelined him but he may have suffered an injury setback.

According to Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian/OregonLive, Simons suffered a sprained right hand during a recent workout. He remains on the injured list ahead of Portland's upcoming game against the Houston Rockets.

"Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons overcame the illness that sidelined him for the team’s last three games. Unfortunately, Simons remains on the team’s injury list with a sprained right hand, which occurred during a recent workout."

Simons is being listed as questionable ahead of the game with the Rockets but Portland could be expecting him to play. It seems that the hand injury may not be as bad as first thought and Simons could possibly play through it.

Getting Simons back on the court would be massive for the Trail Blazers. He is one of the crucial pieces to Portland's overall success, helping their offense flow better throughout games.

For the year, Simons has averaged 16.2 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game. Simons has only appeared in 12 games this season but the Trail Blazers have looked better with him available in the lineup.

The young guard was subject to trade rumors all offseason, leading to a lot of speculation that he could be moved. So far, Portland hasn't come close to dealing him away but they are expected to revisit talks down the line.

Portland could likely net some strong assets for the young guard, especially considering his ability to put the ball in the basket. Simons could be the missing piece to a contending team, helping the Trail Blazers in any potential trade talks.

But for now, he will give his all for Portland and help this young team try to win as many games as possible.

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