2018 NBA Draft: Anfernee Simons Scouting Report and Highlights

After doing a postgraduate year at IMG Academy, Simons was able to bypass college and enter this year’s NBA draft, as he’ll turn 19 this month and be a season removed from high school graduation. Given the circumstances, he’s viewed as a boom-or-bust player, and teams will have to sell themselves on developing him for a couple of seasons before he makes much of a contribution. On raw talent, he’s first-round caliber.

The Crossover’s Front Office breaks down Simons’s strengths, weaknesses, NBA comparison and more in its in-depth scouting report.

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Anfernee Simons, G, IMG Academy | HS Senior

Height: 6'3" | Weight: 180 | DOB: 6/8/99 (19) | Last: 21
Stats (2017 UnderArmour Association): 15.3 PPG, 41.4% 3FG

Strengths

• High-end athlete. Extremely bouncy and quick off the floor. Explosive in transition. Capable of difficult finishes in the air and highlight dunks.

• Solid jump shooter. Gets good rotation, high release, more of a flick mechanism than a smooth shot.

• Quick feet and hands suggest he can become a plus defender down the line. Has a 6’7” wingspan.

Weaknesses

• Lacks ideal size for a shooting guard, and isn’t a true point guard. More of a scorer at his core. Doesn’t have an ideal playmaking feel.

• Extremely thin and has a lot of physical maturation to do. Will require careful development. Still learning how to play and figuring out what his role should be.

• Defensive effort comes and goes.

Highlights

Ream More

Scouting Anfernee Simons at the HoopHall Classic (January 2018)

Comparison: Austin Rivers

Simons has a long way to go, but his natural scoring ability and athletic gifts will help him find a home in the NBA if things break correctly.