[Saba Sports News] On Friday, the Blazers delivered unfortunate news about another explosive scoring guard, Anfernee Simons. They revealed that Simons has a torn UCL in his right (shooting) thumb, an injury he apparently sustained during the Opening Night loss to the LA Clippers on Wednesday. Simons is now scheduled for surgery and is expected to be sidelined for the next four to six weeks.
At 24 years old, Simons was anticipated to be the primary offensive playmaker for Portland this season. He had an impressive career-high average of 21.1 points per game last year, leading all Blazers players aside from Lillard. Simons had a strong start with 18 points on Wednesday against the Clippers. However, with this injury, it seems he may be sidelined until early-to-mid-December, causing him to miss approximately 20 regular season games.
During Simons’ absence, rookies like Scoot Henderson, second-year player Shaedon Sharpe, and veteran Malcolm Brogdon will need to step up in the Blazers’ backcourt. Jerami Grant and Deandre Ayton may also see increased opportunities, but there is no positive aspect to Simons’ injury for a Portland team currently facing a period of uncertainty.