July 06, 2026
Kyle Ross/IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Will Anfernee Simons be an upgrade from Quentin Grimes?
It would have been hard for new Sixers President of Basketball Operations Mike Gansey to justify going through his first offseason in Philadelphia without landing a high-caliber three-point shooter. The Sixers finished in the bottom third of the NBA in volume and efficiency from beyond the arc last season.
Gansey's third free-agency acquisition of the summer, sharpshooting guard Anfernee Simons, will come in handy.
Simons, the 27-year-old who signed a two-year, $12.3 million contract with a second-year player option, is one of the league's most prolific three-point shooters. That will be a massive addition for this group. But while Simons is not exactly a one-dimensional player, there are some major holes in his game.
As we continue to break down film of the new Sixers, let's take a closer look at Simons:
Between his time with the Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls last season, Simons shot 38.5 percent from long range – just a tick above his career percentage of 38.1 – and he is a considerably better shooter than that strong figure would indicate. Simons does not just make a very good percentage of his three-point tries; he shoots a ton of them – at least 12.5 per 100 possessions in six consecutive seasons – and they are often extremely difficult shots.
The majority of Simons' three-point shots in the NBA have been off the dribble. That may remain the case in Philadelphia, but Simons joining the Sixers should set him up to finally start taking more catch-and-shoot threes. He should take full advantage of that opportunity:
Anfernee Simons has typically functioned as an on-ball player shooting lots of pull-up three-pointers, but he can also spot up from well beyond the arc: pic.twitter.com/TDlkVvffOT
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) July 5, 2026
Simons will replace Quentin Grimes in Sixers head coach Nick Nurse's rotation. Grimes did not have a good year as a three-point shooter despite his solid track record there. Simons, frankly, is in a completely different class. Grimes particularly struggled shooting off the dribble in 2025-26, and Simons is about as steady on that front as anybody in the NBA not named Stephen Curry.
Nurse has rarely utilized special movement shooters; part of what became frustrating about the end of Jared McCain's Sixers tenure was how rarely he ran around screens to free himself up beyond the arc. Simons could be a real weapon if Nurse goes back to this part of his playbook, which he seemed to just be opening up during McCain's penultimate game with the team:
The Sixers would benefit tremendously from using Jared McCain as a movement shooter like this more often: pic.twitter.com/FEwRewWycH
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) February 3, 2026
Jaylen Brown is on the Sixers now, too, and as the team incorporates one of the game's highest-volume mid-range operators, it will be imperative that they find good spacing the way the Celtics always have to enable Brown. When Nurse builds lineups to empower Brown's on-ball scoring, Simons should be in all of them.
MORE: Aspects of Jaylen Brown's game to be excited about
The argument could be made that Simons is the best option on the Sixers to back up Tyrese Maxey at point guard. That responsibility fell on the shoulders of rookie VJ Edgecombe last season, and while the 20-year-old experienced growing pains along the way, he was probably better off for having the extensive on-ball experience.
The Brown trade shows the Sixers are all-in on winning as much as they can. So, will Simons take some of those ball-handling responsibilities from Edgecombe? It may be the Sixers' simplest arrangement, but between that and Brown assuming higher volume than Paul George handled it would be harder for the team to continue developing Edgecombe on the ball.
Simons has quite a bit of experience as a starting point guard in the NBA. On Portland Trail Blazers teams without much offensive firepower, he was often treated as a go-to scorer. That experience prepares Simons for expanded ball-handling duties whenever the Sixers need him to take them on, but it also exposed his weaknesses.
While Simons could play backup point guard, he is not an advanced creator for others at all. Last season, according to basketball-reference, 48 players 6-foot-7 or shorter logged at least 1,000 minutes with a usage rate of at least 23.0 percent. Simons' assist percentage ranked 42nd. (To be fair, his turnover percentage ranked fourth-lowest, 0.1 percent better than Maxey.) When Simons does turn the ball over, it is sparked by a bad read or a player with much better athleticism and strength simply overwhelming him:
Anfernee Simons can provide some secondary scoring and ball-handling, but the Sixers should not rely on him to create shots for others consistently. He is prone to making ill-advised passes and being overwhelmed by players with superior physicality: pic.twitter.com/BurwEm6Exs
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) July 4, 2026
Still, Simons will add some secondary ball-handling and scoring for a Sixers team that will inevitably experience injuries and need reserves to scale upwards. The pull-up threes power Simons' on-ball scoring, but he can also get to the rim in a quick burst and has great touch on mid-range jumpers:
Anfernee Simons has a good mix of off-the-dribble scoring abilities, from long pull-up threes to some mid-range work and occasional pressuring of the rim: pic.twitter.com/SlgfrIz9lT
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) July 4, 2026
When Simons was a primary ball-handler and scoring option in Portland, he was underqualified for his role. But as a third guard, he is certainly not – that much was evident during his time in Boston.
MORE: Aspects of Jaylen Brown's game to be worried about
This is where it gets pretty ugly, in a way that is not particularly surprising. Simons is very small and is not strong. Even if his technique and decision-making on defense were both pristine, he would fail to provide value on defense. But he does not:
Anfernee Simons routinely grades as one of the worst defensive players in the NBA, thanks in large part to his lack of size and strength. But there are also lapses in judgement and execution: pic.twitter.com/ab0CovxPly
— Adam Aaronson's clips (@SixersAdamClips) July 4, 2026
The Sixers are not relying on Simons to start or close games, so having one of the weakest links in the entire NBA on defense will not be an extinction-level issue for them. But it will limit how much he can play in lots of matchups, particularly given how many minutes Nurse likes to play Maxey and Edgecombe.
Additionally, the Sixers signing Simons makes it harder to imagine Labaron Philon Jr., the team's first-round pick last month, cracking the rotation on a full-time basis as a rookie. To be clear, any team with serious hopes of winning is better off not relying on a 21-year-old, 176-pound rookie guard, but now Philon likely profiles as a change-of-pace, spark-plug sort of player. That is perhaps his best fit right now, though an extended run at some point would be instructive.
A key part of the Sixers' success last year was their three-guard lineups, primarily centered around Maxey, Edgecombe and Grimes. While Grimes was the worst of those three players, had a frustrating season and just signed a four-year, $60 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers which was clearly too rich for the Sixers' blood, he was the key to those lineups thriving. Grimes proved to be incredibly reliable guarding up against wings, which unlocked the three-guard looks for Nurse.
At some point, the Sixers will probably try playing Simons with Maxey, Edgecombe, Brown and Joel Embiid, because it is hard to imagine teams getting consistent stops against that grouping. But unless Edgecombe experiences outlier development guarding above his size, those units will struggle mightily on the defensive end.
Simons consistently grades out as one of the NBA's worst defenders, and the eye test matches the numbers. That is why the Sixers were able to sign an all-world shooter for barely over $6 million.
MORE: Asking a Portland beat writer about Simons, Rayan Rupert, Caleb Love
