Filling Damian Lillard's shoes just got a lot harder for the Trail Blazers.
In Portland's first game of the 2023-24 season, Anfernee Simons suffered a thumb injury. It was unclear how serious the injury was at first, but testing revealed a tear that will sideline him for an extended period of time.
Simons is coming off a career season in which he averaged 21.1 points per game. Lillard (32.2) was the only Blazers player with a higher scoring average. Simons then had an explosive preseason that saw him average 19.3 points in only 21.3 minutes per game.
How long could the Trail Blazers be without Simons? Here's the latest news on his injury.
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What is Anfernee Simons' injury?
The Trail Blazers announced on Oct. 27 that Simons underwent surgery for a UCL tear in his right thumb.
Simons injured his thumb in the team's season-opening loss to the Clippers. He was originally listed as questionable for Portland's next game with a right thumb sprain, but an MRI revealed a tear.
How long will Anfernee Simons be out?
Simons is expected to miss between four and six weeks, meaning Portland could be without the 24-year-old until sometime in December. Based on that timeline, he will sit out a minimum of 14 games.
With Lillard no longer on the Trail Blazers, the stage was set for Simons to take another leap as the team's primary scoring option. His injury will open up more opportunities for rookie Scoot Henderson and second-year guard Shaedon Sharpe.
Simons appeared in 62 of a possible 82 games in the 2022-23 season. The longest stretch he missed came at the end of the season when he was sidelined for 11 straight games with right foot soreness.
Anfernee Simons career stats
- 12.7 points per game
- 2.5 assists per game
- 2.3 rebounds per game
- 0.4 steals per game
- 0.1 blocks per game
- 1.3 turnovers per game
- 43.3 percent field goal shooting
- 38.7 percent 3-point shooting
- 85.8 percent free throw shooting
