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Blazers’ Simons, Out Since Opener, Listed As Questionable Wednesday

December 5th, 2023 at 10:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Anfernee Simons could return to action on Wednesday for the first time since the Trail Blazers’ opener.

Simons is listed as questionable for Portland’s game against Golden State, Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report tweets. Head coach Chauncey Billups said on Monday that he’s hoping to have the guard available for the Blazers’ next game, per Casey Holdahl (Twitter link).

Simons suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right thumb in the season-opening loss at the Clippers. He then underwent surgery on Oct. 31 with a general timetable of six weeks, so he’s a little bit ahead of schedule.

Simons is in the second season of a four-year, $100MM contract. He also missed a good chunk of time each of the past two seasons due to various injuries, appearing in 119 of a possible 164 games.

Simons has developed into an explosive scorer when healthy, averaging a career-high 21.1 points last season while posting a .447/.377/.894 shooting slash line. He also averaged a career-best 4.1 assists.

With Simons, second-year wing Shaedon Sharpe has played an average of 37 minutes per contest, averaging 17.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists.

Toumani Camara, a rookie second-rounder, has also gotten a chance to shine. He’s started in 10 of 19 games, averaging 6.3 points and 4.1 rebounds in 24.9 minutes.

Simons was considered a major trade chip this past summer, prior to the Damian Lillard blockbuster. His return will give Portland’s front office a full-fledged opportunity to evaluate which young players are keepers in the long term.

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And-Ones: Broadcast Rights, Hawk-Eye, Panic Meter, Sophomores

November 6th, 2023 at 9:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Local broadcasting rights for 15 NBA teams have been ironed out, at least for this season, Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic reports. The league and Diamond Sports Group have reached an agreement that would guarantee Diamond’s regional sports networks will provide those local broadcasts.

That organization is undergoing bankruptcy proceedings. Some of the contracts it had in place were signed through 2030. Now, all the individual broadcast agreements will last only through this season. Diamond runs Bally Sports Regional Networks.

The bankruptcy court must approve this agreement.

We have more from around the NBA:

  • Major issues regarding the Hawk-Eye optical tracking system used by the league this year were recently detailed by Ben Dowsett of The Guardian. Dowsett now tweets that the problems have persisted and even worsened. Tensions between team analytics staffs and the NBA league office were on display during a “disastrous” league-wide conference call on Monday, according to Dowsett.
  • Which teams rate the highest on the “Panic Meter” two weeks into the season? In the view of Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated, the Bulls and Grizzlies are at the top of the list.
  • Some players make big strides from their rookie season to their sophomore campaign. The Trail Blazers’ Shaedon Sharpe and Pistons’ Jalen Duren have made significant jumps thus far, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, who also takes a look at some sophomores who are slumping in the early going.
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Northwest Notes: Henderson, Holmgren, Markkanen, Dunn

October 27th, 2023 at 8:14pm CST by Rory Maher

Scoot Henderson, the third overall pick in the 2023 draft, had an inauspicious regular season debut in Wednesday’s loss at the Clippers, recording just two points and one assist until the fourth quarter, when the Trail Blazers were down 26 points to open the final frame.

As Bill Oram of The Oregonian writes, Henderson grew up emulating Russell Westbrook, who dominated the head-to-head matchup. The rookie point guard ultimately finished with 11 points (5-of-11 shooting), four assists and four turnovers after accumulating some garbage-time stats.

“There’s going to be some nights he’s going to look 19,” Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said. “Tonight was one of those nights.”

Still, the Blazers know they’re going to take their lumps in 2023/24, and it will all be about how Henderson and the rest of the team develop and respond, according to Oram.

Despite his opening night struggles, teammates and coaches said Henderson remained unflappable throughout the game, a testament to to his mentality and maturity, per Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian (subscriber link).

“I didn’t see him get frustrated all,” center Deandre Ayton said. “He was pretty calm and collected. He was talking to me more than anything … Even though he knew he made a couple of mistakes, he just went on to the next play and played harder. He handled it well as a professional, for sure.”

Portland and Henderson will look to bounce back in tonight’s home opener vs. Orlando, though starting backcourt mate Anfernee Simons is out four-to-six weeks after tearing a ligament in his thumb. Second-year guard Shaedon Sharpe will start in Simons’ place, Billups told reporters, including Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Twitter link).

Here’s more from the Northwest:

  • Thunder big man Chet Holmgren had to wait a year to make his regular season debut after missing all of last season with a foot injury. Was the second pick in 2022 nervous on Wednesday in Chicago? “More excitement, and I guess a little bit of (anxiety),” he said, per Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman. “Just the waiting part, knowing that eventually the ball’s gonna tip up. All day you’re just waiting for that moment.” Holmgren finished with 11 points, four rebounds, three assists, a steal and was plus-14 in 25 minutes, Mussatto notes.
  • Jazz head coach Will Hardy says Lauri Markkanen will have a difficult year, as the All-Star forward’s breakout season in 2022/23 has made him a “marked man” on opposing teams’ scouting reports, not to mention he’ll face increased scrutiny because of elevated expectations. However, Hardy is confident he’ll handle the extra attention well, writes Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune. “Yeah, I mean, they started making changes obviously during the last year, too. And we kind of knew what was going to come, so no surprises there,” Markkanen said after Wednesday’s loss to Sacramento. “But I think that’s a good challenge for me. I’m not gonna put my head down if I make a mistake or whatever. I’m here to get better every day.”
  • Kris Dunn recently had his contract for 2023/24 guaranteed by the Jazz, and he says he’s “super grateful for the opportunity” after dealing with injuries the past handful of seasons and working his way back to the NBA by playing in the G League for most of 2022/23, as Sarah Todd of The Deseret News details. “I fell in love with the game even more,” Dunn said of his time with the Capital City Go-Go. “When you’re down and out, you’ve got to find a way to really battle through and I just really, really worked on my fundamentals and tried to develop my game so that when the shot did come and present itself, I was ready.”
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Trail Blazers Pick Up Shaedon Sharpe’s 2024/25 Option

October 10th, 2023 at 3:09pm CST by Luke Adams

The Trail Blazers have exercised their third-year team option on guard Shaedon Sharpe for the 2024/25 season, the team announced in a press release.

The move doesn’t affect Sharpe’s contract status for the coming season — his $6.3MM salary for 2023/24 was already guaranteed. The option pick-up ensures that his $6.6MM salary for the ’24/25 season is now locked in as well.

Sharpe, the seventh overall pick in the 2022 draft, is coming off a promising rookie season in which he averaged 9.9 points and 3.0 rebounds in 22.2 minutes per game and posted a .472/.360/.714 shooting line across 80 appearances (15 starts).

The 20-year-old expected to take on a bigger role in his second NBA season following the trade of Damian Lillard. Sharpe, Anfernee Simons, and this year’s No. 3 pick Scoot Henderson are viewed as Portland’s backcourt of the future, with Sharpe potentially sliding up to the three at times if the team wants to play the trio together.

The Blazers’ next contract decision on Sharpe will come a year from now — they’ll have until October 31, 2024 to decide whether to exercise his $8.4MM option for 2025/26. Assuming that option is picked up, Sharpe will become extension-eligible for the first time in the summer of 2025.

The rookie scale team option decisions for 2024/25, due by October 31, can be found right here.

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Blazers Notes: Team Leader, Ayton, Thybulle, Sharpe, Brogdon

October 4th, 2023 at 7:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

With their long-time leader now in Milwaukee, the Trail Blazers need someone to step up and fill that role, writes Jason Quick of The Athletic. Last week’s trade of Damian Lillard left Portland not only without its top scorer and No. 1 option in crunch time, but also someone who can take control of the locker room.

Point guard Scoot Henderson seems like the best candidate to eventually accept that responsibility, but he’s only 19 and still has a lot to learn about life in the NBA. Quick notes that Anfernee Simons has been on the roster longer than anyone, but he doesn’t have an outspoken personality. The same is true of Jerami Grant, who’s the team’s second-oldest player at 29 and its top returning scorer.

General manager Joe Cronin and coach Chauncey Billups see the lack of a defined leader as a positive situation because it can encourage competition throughout the roster.

“It’s ‘Come and get it,’” Cronin said. “We have many guys who are very capable or talented enough to be The Man. It’s who is going to emerge from that? Who is going to emerge not just in play, but in leadership?”

There’s more from Portland:

  • Deandre Ayton will likely see more scoring opportunities than he did with the Suns, but he won’t be the focus of the Blazers’ offense, Quick adds. Ayton was often frustrated over not getting the ball enough with his former team. “We are not bringing Deandre here for him to be (Joel) Embiid, where we throw him the ball 30 times a game and say ‘All right, go be the MVP,’” Billups said. “Like, that’s not going to be his role. However, he will probably have a more expanded role than he had in Phoenix. But again, we have a lot of young guys who are figuring out … these things take time.”
  • Matisse Thybulle and Shaedon Sharpe are battling to be the starting small forward and Thybulle appears to have the early advantage, tweets Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. Billups said Grant will start at power forward, while Robert Williams will back up both Ayton and Grant. Simons will start at either point guard or shooting guard, and everything else will be decided during training camp and the preseason. Henderson and Sharpe are both expected to play extensively whether they start or not.
  • There has been speculation that the Blazers will try to trade Malcolm Brogdon after acquiring him from the Celtics on Sunday, but the reigning Sixth Man of the Year is preparing to stay in Portland, tweets Casey Holdahl. “They want me here, I want to be here,” Brogdon said. “There’s a lot of misleading information out there about they need to trade me or I want to go. … I’m embracing being here.”
  • Toumani Camara, who was acquired from Phoenix in the Lillard deal, has been an early standout at camp, according to Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Twitter link).
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Blazers Notes: Ayton, Lillard, Brogdon, Grant, Sharpe

October 2nd, 2023 at 1:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups is thrilled about the team’s acquisition of Deandre Ayton and believes the former No. 1 overall pick will benefit from a change of scenery, he said on Monday, per Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report (Twitter link).

“I always have a unique perspective because of my playing career,” said Billups, who played for four teams in his first five NBA seasons before finding a long-term home in Detroit. “Sometimes it’s just time for a change. I think that was probably what happened with him (in Phoenix). For me, I’m really excited about DA. He’s already a top-five center in the league and there are so many levels he can get to. We’ve got to help him reach his potential. That’s my responsibility as a coach.”

As Vincent Goodwill writes for Yahoo Sports, the Trail Blazers believe Ayton still has a ton of potential and view him as a talented offensive player capable of playing winning basketball.

The 25-year-old appears to be just as excited about his new home as Portland is to acquire him, according to Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. As Fentress writes, in a social media video of Ayton’s first visit to the Blazers’ facility after the trade, the big man said he was “so glad to be here,” adding that he feels like he “just got drafted.”

“I’m at an organization that wants me and wants me to succeed,” Ayton said on media day on Monday, per Fentress (Twitter link). “So, there’s a lot more passion when you feel that mentally and you know you’ve seen that physically as well. So, there’ll be a lot more grit and a lot more domination.”

Here’s more on the Blazers:

  • A report in the wake of the Damian Lillard trade suggested that the star guard – realizing he likely wouldn’t end up in Miami – asked general manager Joe Cronin last month if he could withdraw his trade request and return to Portland, and Cronin told him no. Asked today about that claim, Cronin offered his version of events: “I told him I personally thought it was a bad idea. The trade request had not been rescinded” (Twitter link via Highkin).
  • After trading away Lillard and Jrue Holiday, the Blazers don’t sound like they’re rushing back to the market to move Malcolm Brogdon. “We want to have Malcolm come here and be a part of this,” Cronin said on Monday, per Highkin (Twitter link). “He can bring some good on-court intangibles for us and also as a veteran, which is something we’re going to need. We have a very young roster. I want to make sure there’s enough veteran leadership around these guys.”
  • Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype listed a handful of potential trade partners for the Trail Blazers if they do decide to deal Brogdon.
  • Veteran Blazers forward Jerami Grant, who signed a new five-year, $160MM contract with the club in July, admitted it was “definitely a shock” to realize he won’t be playing with Lillard going forward but said that it’s “part of the business” and that he’s comfortable moving forward with the current group. “Joe and (Blazers owner) Jody (Allen) have been doing a great job,” Grant said (Twitter link via Highkin). “I’m fine.”
  • With Lillard gone, there may be an opening for young wing Shaedon Sharpe to move into the Blazers’ starting lineup, but he said on Monday that he’s not worried about whether he starts or whether he ends up playing at the two or three, according to Highkin (Twitter links). “It doesn’t really matter to me, for real,” he said. Sharpe also told reporters that he expects to play for Team Canada in the 2024 Olympics.
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Chauncey Billups Discusses Challenges Created By Damian Lillard’s Trade Demand

September 20th, 2023 at 6:49pm CST by Arthur Hill

Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups talked extensively about Damian Lillard‘s trade request and how it has affected the team in an interview with Steve Aschburner of NBA.com.

No significant progress has been made on a Lillard deal since he asked Portland’s front office to move him in early July. He hasn’t relented on his desire to leave, which means Billups can’t be certain what his roster will ultimately look like with training camp less than two weeks away.

“Obviously it’s unsettling, it’s difficult,” Billups said. “But for me, all I can do, I’m responsible for giving my best to who we have. I don’t know how it’s going to play out. There’s nothing I can do to control it. But I do know who we have on our team right now and who I’ve been working with this summer. Who I’m excited about. All I can really do is pour myself into our guys. And see what happens whenever that happens. I’m excited about Shaedon (Sharpe’s) progress. And coaching Scoot (Henderson) and Ant (Anfernee Simons).

“Figuring out what happens with Dame? Everybody knows how I feel about Dame and my opportunity to coach him. We’ll just see. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I’ll be ready to do the best I can.”

Unlike other stars who have asked to be traded, the demand hasn’t affected Lillard’s popularity, as the Portland fan base recognizes the loyalty he has shown to the franchise over the past 11 years. Billups doesn’t believe Lillard wants to do anything to hurt the organization, adding that Blazers fans will continue to cheer for him wherever he goes.

“Dame is one of the most stable human beings I’ve ever been around,” Billups added. “He’s not about any type of drama. So this whole process probably weighs very heavy on him. It’s just not who he is. But he’s at a crossroads in his career, and he’s doing what he feels is best for him and his family. I’m always going to be supportive of that.”

Billups touches on several other subjects during the interview, including:

Expectations for Henderson, who is among the favorites to win Rookie of the Year:

“Scoot is going to be a star in this league. He plays both sides of the floor with ferocity. He is very, very driven. He’s a play-maker, he’s a real point guard. Got some leadership about him. He looks like he’s the starting safety of the Denver Broncos. He’s going to be an exciting player for the whole world to watch but our fan base, they can rest assured they’ll be entertained.”

Reasons for optimism about Sharpe after a promising rookie season:

“The steps he made last year. If you watched him at the end, he was lights out. I think he’s worked very hard since then to get better. It was a small sample size, but he was playing against a lot of those teams’ No. 1 defensive player. He was getting some tough coverages and he still was getting things done. I was very impressed with him.”

Jerami Grant‘s role after getting a new five-year, $160MM contract:

“I think Jerami fits in perfectly to what we’re doing. He’s a guy who loves to play the game. Unselfish, both offensively and defensively. Plays fast. Wants to play the right way. He’s going to be perfect for our young guys. He’s excited as well to be back.”

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And-Ones: Zagars, Sophomores, Super-Max, Best Offseason Deals

September 18th, 2023 at 9:19am CST by Luke Adams

World Cup standout Arturs Zagars has officially signed with Turkish club Fenerbahce and has been loaned to Lithuanian team BC Wolves, as Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.net relays. A recent report suggested that was the likely outcome for Zagars, who attracted NBA interest based in part on his strong play for Latvia at this year’s World Cup.

Zagars averaged 12.4 points, 7.4 assists, and 2.6 rebounds in 25.2 minutes per game across his eight World Cup appearances, making 48.6% of his shots from the floor and 41.7% of his three-pointers. The 23-year-old, who spent last season playing in Lithuania, was named to the All-World Cup Second Team.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

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And-Ones: Cunningham, Jones, Flagg, Macura, Wade

August 13th, 2023 at 8:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pistons guard Cade Cunningham tops the list of potential breakout candidates for the upcoming season, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times writes. Cunningham, who missed most of last season with a shin injury, dazzled while playing this month for the USA Select Team.

Wizards guard Tyus Jones, who has a chance to start after serving as a backup with the Timberwolves and Grizzlies, and Trail Blazers second-year wing Shaedon Sharpe, who put up big numbers late last season, are among the other players who make Cowley’s list.

We have more news from around the basketball world:

  • Cooper Flagg’s decision to reclassify makes a significant impact on the 2025 draft, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN. The 2025 draft wasn’t considered particularly strong, so with Flagg eligible to be taken that season, that group now has more star power. Despite his unorthodox game built around defense and passing, rather than scoring prowess, Flagg is the early favorite to be the top pick of that draft.
  • J.P. Macura is signing with Happy Casa Brindisi of Italy, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando (Twitter link). Macura made three cameo appearances in the NBA — two games with the Hornets in 2018/19 and one with the Cavaliers the following season. Macura has played the last two seasons in Italy after a one-year stop in Turkey.
  • Dwyane Wade, who was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame on Saturday, wasn’t a slam dunk to be selected by the Heat in the lottery in 2003, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel notes. Team president Pat Riley said the club was in need of a big but when Toronto took Chris Bosh, Wade slipped to Miami’s pick at No. 5 overall.
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Scoot Henderson: “I Will Win Rookie Of The Year”

August 8th, 2023 at 8:00am CST by Luke Adams

After being selected third overall in the 2023 NBA draft, Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson is confident that he’ll have a big rookie season in Portland.

“My goal, obviously, is to win Rookie of the Year,” Henderson told Playmaker (YouTube link). “And I will win Rookie of the Year. … My goals for the season are to help win a lot of games, to embrace the position I’m in, to embrace my role on the team, to be a great listener, and watching film and applying it to the next game.”

Henderson’s assertion that he’ll be the 2023/24 Rookie of the Year is just one of the lofty goals he expressed during the Playmaker interview. He also said he wants to eventually “be remembered as the best point guard to ever play the game.”

Henderson’s professional career got off to a promising start at the Las Vegas Summer League, where he put up 15 points, six assists, and five rebounds in just 21 minutes before exiting the Trail Blazers’ first game due to a shoulder injury. There’s no indication that he won’t be fully healthy by the time training camp begins this fall.

Still, before he begins chasing his most ambitious career goals, Henderson may have to achieve a more modest one: cracking Portland’s starting lineup. Even if Damian Lillard is traded, Anfernee Simons and Shaedon Sharpe appear to be the favorites to open the season as the starters in the Blazers’ backcourt, a league source tells Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian.

Of course, Henderson figures to have a major role even if he’s coming off the bench, and it’s possible he’ll show enough this fall that it will be impossible for the club to keep him out of its starting five.

Henderson also figures to face stiff competition in the ’23/24 Rookie of the Year race. The betting favorite is No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama, while last year’s No. 2 overall pick Chet Holmgren is also considered a strong contender for the award.

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