Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons came out of Tuesday’s third-quarter loss to Washington with a sprained right ankle and did not return.
Blazers guard Anfernee Simons will undergo an MRI on his right ankle on Thursday, sources told ESPN. Simons sprained his ankle in a loss to the Wizards on Tuesday night. X-rays were negative.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 15, 2023
X-rays on Simons’ ankle were negative, but he is expected to undergo an MRI on Wednesday to further diagnose the injury.
“I guess we’ll see the severity tomorrow,” Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said after Tuesday’s game. We’ll do an MRI. However, he did not look great.
The injury occurred with about 12 seconds remaining in the third quarter. Simons drove to the basket, stopped and attempted a jump shot on Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma. As he landed, Simons’ right foot landed on Kuzma’s right foot, causing his ankle to roll. He had to be helped off the pitch by the coaching staff and was on crutches after the game.
The Blazers play just one more game before the NBA All-Star break on Thursday in Sacramento, so it seems safe to assume Simons won’t play at least that game. He accepted an invite to compete in the 3-point contest at All-Star Weekend, but his participation is likely in jeopardy now.
If Simons has to miss extended time after the break, it would be a major blow to a Blazers team struggling to stay in the play-in mix in the Western Conference. Portland currently has a 28-30 record.
Simons is the Blazers’ second leading scorer this season with 21.4 PPG on .450/.381/.913 shooting. The team’s perimeter isn’t especially deep after Portland moved Gary Payton II and Josh Hart at last week’s trade deadline.
Rookie Shaedon Sharpe and newly acquired veteran Ryan Arcidiacono would be among the candidates for more roles with Simons gone. Portland could also lean more on wings like Cam Reddish, Matisse Thybulle and Nassir Little.
The Blazers are nowhere near the favorites to make the playoffs according to sportsbooks in Oregon. He is more likely to appear in a play-in tournament.
