Aamir Simms prepares for his opportunity | Basketball initiates
Aamir Simms prepares for his opportunity | Basketball initiates
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Clemson has produced some very good NBA players – including Elden Campbell, Dale Davis and Horace Grant – but not too many lately. The most recent Clemson Tiger to be selected in the NBA Draft was Jason Blossomgame in 2017. Prior to that, KJ McDaniels in 2014, Trevor Booker in 2010 and Will Soloman in 2001. Aamir Simms has been hoping to be the first for some time – and he hopes to stay in the league.
Statistically, Simms has everything you would want from a prospect. He’s a big 6’8 ” who can defend multiple positions and shoot deep. He averaged 13.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 2020-21, shooting 40% from three-point attempts and 82.5% from the free throw line.
Simms was also named to the All-ACC Second Team this season, having been named to the All-ACC Third Team last season.
But the NBA Draft is a dice game with hundreds of players competing for just 60 spots. To complicate matters is the fact that Simms was a four-year-old – and the age is do not an asset in the NBA draft.
But Simms has proven a lot during his time at Clemson, and he believes his ability and willingness to do whatever a team needs is an advantage.
“My original position was the four,” Simms recently told Basketball Insiders. “But I’m comfortable playing small five (too). And later in my career, I want to work to play three too, like Jeff Green. “
Green, who has played a major role in the success of the Brooklyn Nets this season, is one of the players who inspires Simms. He obviously enjoys what LeBron James and Kevin Durant are doing, but he sees the usefulness of players like Green, and he understands that imitating players like this will be key to his success.
“Being a versatile four like Jae Crowder (that would be ideal),” said Simms. “Being able to defend guys your size. Have the midrange and the face up like Al Horford or Paul Milsap. Tobias Harris’ cunning and versatility. And especially Jeff Green. He does a good job shooting the ball, playing the post, keeping one to five. “
“And that’s something I’m excited to showcase in this combine, in practices and even in the summer league.”
Achieving this success takes some serious skill and versatility, but Simms believes he’s already on the right track. If you think “but there is no evidence that it can”, you are not wrong. But it’s not uncommon for players to sacrifice their own success for the greater good of a college program – and that’s exactly what Simms did.
“My perimeter defense is something I’m really ready to highlight,” Simms said. “In school I was a little five so I didn’t change much for the good of the team,” said Simms.
But he can – and he knows it.
Clemson’s full roster was just three more players than Simms. Two of the three were freshmen and the other – Jonathan Baehre – has only started 10 games. Obviously, Clemson coach Brad Brownell had a vision for his team, which included Simms as an undersized center. And given their entry into the NCAA tournament after the media predicted they would finish 10e in the ACC in a preseason poll it’s fair to say it worked.
“I think there are a lot of things that teams look at (in the draft process): the winners, individual growth, changes in your stats and consistency,” Simms said. “I think I’ve shown all of these areas throughout this season.”
“The way I led my team, (along with) other guys on the team, I brought us back to the tournament – because people weren’t really expecting it. We were ranked quite high. My shooting and numbers have improved, especially my field goal percentage. I was a little streaked with the rebounds, but I think I showed improvements in areas that would move me up the lead rankings.
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With Simms, the filming will generate interest. As mentioned above, Simms shot better than 40% on three points over the past two seasons – but he wasn’t a down shooter early in his Clemson career.
As a freshman, Simms shot a 32.6% pedestrian on three-point attempts. But credit Simms for identifying the problem and working to fix it.
“The reason I shot so low in first year was because my form was passing over the left side of my face, so when I released the ball I couldn’t see that much,” said Simms. “From the middle of my freshman to senior year, I worked with (assistant) coach Smith before he went to Florida, as well as (assistant) coach Dean and (director of player development) Terrell Mcintyre. “
“And these guys have helped me improve my form and stay there. And then I spent my summers taking hundreds of snapshots – 500 each morning and 500 each night to reduce that muscle memory.
But Simms’ game isn’t just about shooting, and that’s what he hopes to prove throughout the draft process – starting Sunday, June 20 at the G-League Elite camp.
The G League Elite camp is a chance for 40 players to show off their skills in front of NBA and G League scouts, as well as front office coaches and executives. The camp will feature five-on-five scrums, as well as strength and agility exercises. The top players will receive an invitation to the 2021 NBA Draft Combine, meaning the camp can catapult players into very real consideration by NBA clubs. And Simms understands the opportunity at hand.
“Being invited to the combine (is the goal),” Simms said. “This is where the best of the best go. I belong, but I’m lucky to be invited because there are other good guys who didn’t get an invite.
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This season, Simms has faced at least two lottery prospects at Scottie Barnes (Florida State) and Jalen Johnson (Duke). Both will likely be used as Simms potential measuring sticks; but given the defensive patterns, not all clashes are equal.
Simms underperformed against Florida State, scoring just 5 points on a one-on-three shot. But the state of Florida is eliminating post opportunities and is known for its swarm defense.
“The state of Florida rises in you, (they) go from one to five. They sit on you and prevent you from catching the ball at the back of the post, ”Simms said. “I figured out that I wasn’t going to be as involved as I wanted to get into it.”
But whatever way you see Simms’ performance against Florida State, he showed a big heart in coming back and playing well against Duke a week later. While Clemson lost by 26 points, Simms performed well in a head-to-head clash with another top striker, scoring 19 points on seven of thirteen shots.
“I’ve shown since my junior year that your ranking doesn’t matter,” said Simms. “You play the lottery several times a year. That one was more of a rebound from Florida State. It’s another where we weren’t together, but the individual performance was what it was. It was a losing effort so I didn’t focus on it, but it shows that I can play with anyone. I don’t care if you’re in the top 10 in the draft or somewhere else. I always feel like I’m performing at a high level against very projected players, and it was an opportunity to remind people who I am.
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Having to prove himself after four seasons in a high-profile program would likely bother a lot of prospects, but that doesn’t bother Simms. Rather, Simms uses it as motivation.
“I’m just thankful to be in the position I am in because a lot of guys work for it and don’t get the chance,” Simms said. “It can be frustrating to be asked to prove yourself over and over again, but the majority of the good guys in the game have to do that at some point as well, so that’s good.”
“I (already) have a chip on my shoulder,” Simms continued. “I come from the worst situations you can imagine so I’m being asked to keep showing my game and my progress is easy. Being able to put the ball in the basket and play hard is not something I stress about.
“I’ve been through much darker times,” Simms continued. “Playing basketball is fun. I’m going to have to show it over and over again, but at least I’m doing what I love. Passion takes care of all of this. My faith pushes me through, God pushes me through. So if they ask me to do it 100 times, I will do it 101. I belong to the league. I believe I am ready for the NBA. If they want me to do it this week and another week after, I’m ready.
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Simms is focused on getting the right opportunity with the right team. He has spoken to his NBA friends including Mamadi Diakite (Milwaukee Bucks) and Nic Claxton (Brooklyn Nets), both of whom talk about the mental burden of going from “dude” to getting DNP. But they are not bitter. They stress the importance of putting yourself in a good position with a patient team and how this allows players to gain confidence away from the pressure of NBA play.
Yet you never know when your number will be called and recruits should always be ready. They must also understand the needs of a team and the system that works. But Simms isn’t worried about that aspect. As the recipient of the 2021 “Skip” Prosser Award, emblematic of the best varsity athlete in men’s college basketball, he’s always been the type to hit the books – and he intends to tackle an NBA opportunity in the game. same way.
“If I’m lucky enough to be drafted I’m going to spend that time starting the first night to get a feel for the squad,” said Simms. “Learn the list, who the primary and secondary guys are, and see where I fit in.”
“Either way, one thing you can do is bounce back and defend. So that’s something I’m going to do from the jump, (as well as) do what the coach asks me to do. I have always been very coachable.
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Getting drafted is obviously the goal. But Simms understands there is an opportunity beyond the draft. And conversely, he knows that being drafted does not guarantee success.
“Too many guys get caught by name, and that can put them in a bad spot,” Simms said. “It takes a lot of maturity to understand that it doesn’t matter if you aren’t drafted. A lot of guys who are not drafted or who are taken at the end of the second round stand out (currently). Look around in the league, guys are from the G League or from overseas… if you can get over the idea of being drafted and just focus on getting your foot in the door, that’s The most important. This is what I am focusing on.
Simms has spent at least the past four years preparing for this moment – now is the time to prove he belongs. His mix of athleticism, size and skill will get him noticed, but his patience and cerebral approach are real differentiators. Even though Simms’ name is not called on July 29e In the draft, this writer believes he will find his place on an NBA roster for the 2021-22 season, one way or another.