Trail Blazers' top scorer out 4-6 weeks

Anfernee Simons sustained a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right thumb in Wednesday’s season-opening loss at the Clippers, the Trail Blazers announced in a press release.

The 24-year-old guard is undergoing surgery and is expected to be sidelined for four-to-six weeks, per the team.

It’s a tough setback for Simons, who is in the second season of a four-year, $100M contract signed in 2022. He has missed a good chunk of time each of the past two seasons due to various injuries, appearing in 119 of a possible 164 games.

Simons has developed into an explosive scorer when healthy, averaging a career-high 21.1 points per game in 2022-23 while posting a .447/.377/.894 shooting slash line. He also averaged a career-best 4.1 assists last season.

In Portland’s lopsided loss to Los Angeles, Simons recorded 18 points, four assists and two steals in 27 minutes. He has a goal of being named an All-Star for the first time in 2023-24 and also wants to become a better and more consistent defensive player.

The All-Star nod seems unlikely now due to the injury — if he returns in four weeks, which is optimistic, he would miss 14 games. If he returns in six weeks, he would be out for 18 games.

With Simons sidelined, players like Malcolm Brogdon and Shaedon Sharpe should see an uptick in backcourt minutes for the Blazers.