Why did the Boston Celtics lose Game 2 to the Philadelphia 76ers? Besides the fact that the VJ Edgecombe gave Boston Tyler Herro PTSD, none of the Celtics could hit the broad side of a barn, save for Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. You know who would have come in handy when games like those happen? Anfernee Simons.
No, this will not be a rant at the trade itself because what's done is done, and the logic is still sound. Tatum's comeback made Simons a premier candidate for the doghouse, and Boston had someone who could fill the void with Payton Pritchard. However, while Pritchard is the better player, Simons is the better scorer, which is why he would have helped tremendously while Boston was ice cold.
That didn't just include Pritchard. When he, Derrick White and Sam Hauser are all ice cold, Boston would be in trouble against just about anyone in the NBA. That's where Simons proved how useful he was.
There's a reason why Celtics fans were distraught to see him go. He won over fans because his abilities won Boston games they had no business winning. Remember that Heat game where Miami was up double digits most of the game?
Simons put the Celtics on his back and almost single-handedly won them the game.
The ex-Celtic was not a flawless player, but his scoring acumen proved to be useful time and time again, even if his impact was not immediate. It's why some haven't ruled out the possibility of a reunion.
Simons could have matched the Sixers shot for shot
Philadelphia won because they got hot while Boston went cold. As impressive as the Celtics were this year, and as rare as such an occurrence happened, it still happened. Games like Game 2 prove that it's a team effort, no matter how good Tatum and Brown are.
But among the few players who are lethal enough as scorers to help the team overcome that by themselves, Simons is one. He could have leveled up an offense that put up only 97 points while Edgecombe, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George all took turns getting hot.
The one downside to Mazzulla ball is that Boston occasionally has those frustrating nights when most (if not all) of the roster has trouble putting points on the board because they all happen to be having an off night at the same time. Simons was a bit of an antidote to this problem, though the Celtics managed just fine without him.
But during games like these, it's hard not to think about how much the game could have swung in Boston's favor if he had been on the floor.