Anfernee Simons’ path toward becoming Trail Blazers’ royalty: ‘Crazy how things can turn around’

PORTLAND, Ore. — As Anfernee Simons headed to his locker last week after a Trail Blazers’ exhibition game, it was to one of the most storied spaces in the Portland locker room. “I don’t want to think too much about it, but at the same time, I have a sense for what it means,” Simons said. “You see things aren’t going your way, and you’re like ‘I’ve got to change something.’ That’s when everything clicked for me.” So it was notable, Beckner said, when Simons last Friday said he wanted to workout at 8:30 a.m. before the Blazers would have practice. “He hated it, but he did it.” Sure enough, in the Blazers’ first NBA preseason game, Phoenix blitzed Simons — a tactic used by defenses against prolific scorers to get the ball out of their hands — and Simons handled the pressure deftly, and looks to be building a crisp pick-and-roll chemistry with new center Deandre Ayton. “I couldn’t blame Terry because when he was here we would have honest conversations,” Simons said.