The Portland Trail Blazers traded seven-year veteran Anfernee Simons to the Boston Celtics last summer, saying goodbye to a player they drafted and nurtured through an entire era of the franchise. So far the 6’3 guard has gotten off to a rocky start, averaging 11.5 points in 29.5 minutes per game, shooting 30% from the three-point arc in two appearances. But Simons might be forgiven for a little bewilderment, given the shift in locale and system.

The Trail Blazers have undergone seismic shifts themselves, adopting a new, quicker style of play and swapping out head coaches in the first week of the season alone. Former coach Chauncey Billups was arrested on Thursday in illegal gambling charges, leading to his suspension and the advent of assistant Tiago Splitter as Portland’s main man.

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