What happened to Anfernee Simons? Trail Blazers' rising star's latest injury explored

The 2023-24 season is bound to be an excellent campaign for Anfernee Simons, who is playing in his sixth season with the Portland Trail Blazers. The Blazers have a great group of young guys ready to prove their worth to the team for the new NBA season.

Simons will, unfortunately, miss four to six weeks of action after he suffered a UCL tear on his right thumb. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, it will require him to undergo surgery. The 6-foot-3 point guard might miss out on the In-Season Tournament, which starts in November.

Many were hopeful that Simons would take over for the Blazers this season as Damian Lillard has been traded. This will be the perfect opportunity for Scoot Henderson to find his groove on the court.

In his first official game in the league, the third pick of the 2023 NBA Draft struggled to make an impact and had only 11 points, three rebounds, and four assists.

Henderson shot 45% from the field, which is still in the average range. He struggled to make shots from beyond the arc and missed all three attempts from the three-point arc.

With Simons rehabbing his right thumb, the young guard could take over and find his rhythm. Fans are assured that he'll eventually get to showcase his game as he's still confident in himself. During his preseason matchup against the Phoenix Suns, he stayed composed and said he wouldn't be fazed about the star-studded team.

You might also be interested in reading this: Top 3 landing spots for Anfernee Simons if Trail Blazers trade him this summer

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Anfernee Simons sees making the playoffs as the team's goal

The Blazers have a great group of young guys this season, with Anfernee Simons headlining it. Along with a touch of veteran leadership, the team is looking forward to making the postseason. Simons mentioned before the season started that he and his teammates are looking forward to making the postseason.

"We want to win," Simons said. "We want to make the playoffs. That’s everybody’s goal."

"We’ve got a lot of guys that will be able to teach the young guys what it takes to win."

There are doubts that the Blazers might be in the postseason, but Simons is determined to at least give it a shot.

"No matter if people think that you got a young team and you guys on paper might not look the best as other teams on in the league that made the playoffs or are about to make the playoffs this year,” Simons said. “I think it’s one of those things where we got enough experience, enough youth, enough talent to make it. All we got to do is just put it all together. Obviously, it’s gonna take time for that to happen, but I think the quicker we do that, the quicker we see that the success unfold."

The Blazers will play tonight against the Orlando Magic after losing their first game to the LA Clippers.