Does the Best Backcourt in the NBA reside in Portland?
With the return of Damian Lillard the other day, does the best backcourt in the NBA now reside in Portland? Some would be quick to say no, others (primarily those that live in the northwest region of the country) will scream yes without hesitation. Either way if it’s not something that you’ve at least thought about, it’s a discussion that is worth having. So let’s take a look.
Four year man and leading candidate for Most Improved Player award (in my humble opinion) Anfernee Simons is having a career year so far. Just about two months into the season and Simons is currently averaging 24.7ppg, 3.0reb, and 4.5ast all while holding a total win share of 2.1. Many expected Simons to be a prolific shooter in the NBA based off of his play in college at the University of Maryland, but very few expected what he is putting on display right now. Simons is showing a grasp and understanding for Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billup’s offense that proves Simons is not only dedicating time to improve his physical development, but also his basketball IQ and spatial awareness. Simons is now attacking early and often in transition while initiating contact at the rim (something he rarely did in previous seasons) and probing the paint with patience which allows him to be a better facilitator for his teammates. This added dimension of play making keeps the defense honest when he comes off ball screens and early handoff actions (something Portland likes to run often) because now the defense can no longer simply shade to his side knowing he is not looking to pass off the drive let alone drive at all. Simons is showing a serene level of comfort being the primary ball handler that is typically only found in veteran guards that have doubled his amount of time in the league. With Simons’ tremendous leap in productivity this season, I would be remiss to explain why Simons is now getting more opportunities with the ball in his hands.
All-NBA guard and Portland legend Damian Lillard has sat out most of this early 2022-2023 season so far due to injury. With the absence of Lillard, this has allowed Simons to have more opportunities to be the primary playmaking option for a young Portland team. Some would argue that with the addition of Lillard back in the lineup this will stifle the development of Simons’ game, but I disagree. The play style of Lillard and Simons complement each other to a tee and truthfully, us as basketball analysts sometimes over-exaggerate what constitutes a good pairing of guards. Let me break it down so it can be fundamentally simple; the three best things that a guard can do at any level are 1. limit turnovers and run an offense 2. Play great TEAM defense and be a legitimate one on one defender 3. Be able to shoot open shots off the catch and move off the ball, everything else is just icing on the cake. Now last time I watched film, Simons and Lillard are both prolific in all three of these categories. So if my team has not one but TWO guards that bring these dimensions to my team, I would appear to be sitting in quite a good place as on organization. This coupled with the level of play we’ve seen from other top level backcourts in the league is why as of today, Simons and Lillard make up the best backcourt in the NBA. But let’s just look at the numbers as a whole.
Ja Morant and Desmond Bane total ppg (53.2)
Donovan Mitchell & Darius Garland total ppg (50.6)
Damian Lillard & Anfernee Simons total ppg (50.5)
Now if we look at the current top three backcourts in the NBA, we will find that Lillard and Simons are playing at the same level if not better than them. Though their total ppg averages are slightly lower than the other top two backcourts, the reason I give the nod to Simons and Lillard is because as previously stated, Simons is becoming a tenacious defender in the NBA. Simons’ level of play on the defensive end will show in his total win shares stat which also as previously stated sits at 2.1, which is currently higher than every other guard mentioned on this list other than Donovan Mitchell (that’s great company to be in if you ask me).
Just to be mentioned with the likes of the other top backcourts in the NBA is not a position that Portland expected to be in coming into this season. But with the emergence of Anfernee Simons and the continuous stellar play of Damian Lillard, expect to Portland to not only be a threat in the western conference, but also stake their claim as the best backcourt in the NBA.
