Anfernee Simons will not be in the starting lineup for the Chicago Bulls’ Saturday game against the Detroit Pistons, the team announced Friday night.
The decision to bench Simons comes after a recent stretch of games where his performance has been inconsistent. According to NBA.com stats, Simons is currently averaging 14.5 points per game for the Bulls this season. In his most recent outing, on Thursday against the Toronto Raptors, he scored 20 points in 31 minutes of play, but the Bulls lost 110-101.
Simons was acquired by the Bulls in a trade with the Boston Celtics earlier this year, having previously played for the Portland Trail Blazers, who drafted him in 2018. He is in his seventh year in the NBA. Prior to joining the Bulls, Simons was a 2021 NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion even as with the Trail Blazers, according to his Wikipedia profile.
The Bulls have not publicly stated a reason for the lineup change, and it remains unclear who will take Simons’ place in the starting five. The team is coming off a 125-104 loss to the Boston Celtics on February 11th, and a 123-115 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on February 9th. Simons had a strong performance in the loss to the Nets, scoring 23 points with seven assists.
Simons’ last five game statistics, as reported by NBA.com, show a varied performance. On February 19th against the Toronto Raptors, he scored 7 points. Prior to that, on February 7th against the Denver Nuggets, he scored 15 points.
The Bulls are scheduled to play the Pistons at the United Center on Saturday evening. No further details regarding the starting lineup have been released by the team.
