Utah Jazz 2018 NBA Draft profile: Anfernee Simons

IMG Academy standout Anfernee Simons could fit nicely as a combo guard with the Utah Jazz as they look to find their next diamond in the rough at pick No. 21 in this year’s NBA Draft.

Anfernee Simons is a guy that you’ve probably heard about, but don’t know a whole lot about. A big reason for that is that he didn’t play college ball. Instead, he opted out to play for IMG Academy, where he was able to play as a post-high school grad.

While playing for IMG, Simons was able to showcase his skill set, and proved to be an intriguing NBA prospect for this year’s draft. He could be a solid upside pick for the Utah Jazz at No. 21.

He’s 6-foot-3, with a wingspan of 6-foot-9, and has a standing reach of 8-foot-3. That’s decent size/length for a guard in the NBA, similar to that of Donovan Mitchell. What really impresses me about Simons is his athletic ability. He can jump out of the gym and is a great slasher. He finishes at the rim very well, but also has a smooth perimeter shot.

During his time at IMG, he averaged just under 20 points per game, while shooting 42 percent from three where he can shoot coming off the dribble and catch.

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Simons has a lot of upside and potential, but is probably a somewhat risky pick because he’s young. His body isn’t NBA built quite yet, and there really just isn’t a ton of tape on him yet due to the fact that he didn’t play in the NCAA.

Some of the scouting weaknesses on him are that he lacks strength, can have a tendency to turn the ball over quite a bit and hasn’t proved he can be a facilitator at the point guard position.

However, he’s listed as a combo guard and could possibly back up Mitchell off the bench for a while as he continues to develop his body and skills.

After looking at the highlight tapes of Simons it’s clear that he can flat out score. This is something Utah will be looking for on draft night, which is what makes Simons such an interesting option for the Jazz.