Hype is building as Anfernee Simons’ second season with the Portland Trail Blazers is one week away from tipping off. Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated picked Simons as his prediction for this year’s Most Improved Player award-winner:
Since it’s always a pain to predict, I like to use this award as an excuse to earmark young players on the verge of a breakout. I don’t know yet if Simons sees quite enough minutes to win this award, but I do know I’m extremely excited to watch him play. The 20-year-old guard is positioned for a real role, crucial to Portland sustaining its success, and there wasn’t a more impressive player at summer league.