In one of the savviest bargain bin deals this summer, the Philadelphia 76ers managed to woo Anfernee Simons into signing a two-year, $12.2 million contract with the team. The move gives the team a premier option to bolster their second unit, and even better, it appears that the eighth-year guard has already fully bought into his role off the bench this coming season –– affirming a potential unfair advantage the team will have over most teams.
In a recent appearance on the Cousins pod hosted by Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady, Simons shared how he is embracing his expected role for the 76ers this coming season.
"My mindset going into the game is I've already competed at a high level with starters, and it's going to be even easier for me when I come into the game playing against second units. There's a lot of guys that helped me along the way, whether it was Norm Powell, CJ McCollum, those guys that didn't necessarily come into the league starting. Rodney Hood, Evan Turner, those guys helped me understand what it took to be a real role player. They always felt like you're a starter, but for right now, until you become that, you need to learn how to be able to play a role and do it well."
The 76ers hold an strong advantage thanks to Anfernee Simons
Simons has been a bench operator rather than a clear-cut starter for more games in his career, coming off the second unit for nearly 51 percent of all the outings he has appeared in so far. Still, his production screams starter on most teams. With the 76ers having such a stacked lineup, the coaching staff is handcuffed into having to deploy him off the bench. Be that as it may, that is the best way to utilize him.
This past season, Simons averaged 14.3 points and 2.4 assists per outing on 44 percent shooting from the floor, which includes an impressive 38.5 percent success rate from beyond the three-point line. He did his body of work in just under 25 minutes a night, which speaks to his ability to swing games with his scoring without having to open games for his squad.
The 76ers will most likely trot him out in a similar fashion. On most teams, Simons will be a starter. After all, this is a player who averaged nearly 23 points per game just a couple of years ago. But with Philly needing more balance and someone who can lift them on offense off the bench, Simons will undoubtedly be the sixth man for this group.
Nick Nurse likes to play his five best players in the starting unit regardless of fit, so Simons should be the first man up to step into the opening group if either Tyrese Maxey or VJ Edgecombe misses a game. That speaks to Simons' quality as a three-level scoring guard with reliable secondary playmaking. As such, it is great to see him fully buy into his expected role before training camp even officially begins. Heck, he could even win the Sixth Man of the Year award this season.
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