Anfernee Simons is taking a different rout to the NBA as he enters the draft out of IMG Academy. The rim-attacking 19-year-old may still be raw, however, he has the traits to become a solid player down the road.
If there’s a single mystery prospect in this draft it would be Anfernee Simons.
After high school the 6-foot-3 shooting guard opted to take a different path to the pros. Instead of playing college ball, Simons opted to play a year of post-grad ball at IMG Academy in Florida. He is, of course, still eligible for the draft as he is one year removed from graduating high school.
Simons is known to be a consistent shooter, however, he is also a rim attacker. And while doing so he gets up…way up.
Anfernee Simons Head at the Rim pic.twitter.com/1Lm2WuaH8r
— Home Team Hoops (@HomeTeamHoops) June 4, 2017
His ability to rise above the rim is the most fun and exciting part of his game. However, the best part of his game is his potential on the defensive end.
Simons has a 6-foot-9 wingspan to go along with his superb lateral quickness; he averaged 1.3 steals per game at the Under Armour Association. Of course, the hope is as he grows, he’ll be able to produce even more steals.
He’s not just a rim-rattler, Simons can shoot, too. With the Under Armour Association, he scored 20.4 points per game while shooting 43.9 percent from the floor and 42.2 percent from 3-point range. He has a quick release and doesn’t need a whole lot of room to shoot the ball.
Simons isn’t just a stand-still shooter; he shoots well coming off of screens as well as off the dribble. He also has excellent court vision and makes great decisions coming off of screens. While there aren’t as many scouting reports on Simons out there since he didn’t go to college, the ones I have come across don’t talk about his ball-handling enough. From the film I have seen, I like how he controls the pace of the game and, of course, handles the ball.
Simons is reliable at the free throw line. At the Under Armor Association, he was a perfect 11-for-11 from the line. He also has a nice floater added to his game as well as being a decent rebounder for his position.
The real question is if he is NBA-ready or not. One thing is for sure: his 6-foot-3, 185 pound frame isn’t NBA ready. He needs to add strength in order to leave behind any doubt about his build. His skill set is close to NBA-ready, however, it’s tough to judge as Simons is basically coming out of high school.
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As we all know, the Timberwolves need some help shooting the three-ball and finding players with higher defensive potential. Simons is a solid shooter who can attack the rim with authority, and that combined with his potential on defense makes him an interesting prospect.