Boston Celtics scoring guard Anfernee Simons appears to have been cast as the team's new sixth man. If that distinction holds, and Payton Pritchard continues to be featured in the starting lineup, then Simons will be an inevitable frontrunner for Sixth Man of the Year.
Rather than asking him to transform his game to fit the Celtics' starters, head coach Joe Mazzulla appears to be empowering Simons to embrace his strengths and play at an award-winning level.
Boston acquired Simons in the cost-saving deal that sent Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers. As such, expectations are relatively low for the eighth-year shooting guard, so much so that a trade is more likely in many eyes than a meaningful tenure.
Simons is tailor made for the sixth man role, however, as a dynamic scorer and playmaker who can offer instant offense and thus lead the pack in the race for the hardware.
That belief is admittedly founded more in hypotheticals than history, as Simons has started every game he's played over the past three seasons. What he's proven during that time, however, is that he can score and distribute at star-caliber levels.
On a Celtics team that appears to be asking Simons to do exactly that as the rotation's top reserve, the Sixth Man of the Year award suddenly feels inevitable.
Anfernee Simons is perfectly positioned to win Sixth Man of the Year
Simons turned the past four seasons into an opportunity to solidify his status as one of the more productive guards in the NBA. He accumulated averages of 19.9 points, 4.5 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and 3.2 three-point field goals made on .436/.381/.901 shooting.
There's ample reason to believe Simons can emulate that production in a high-volume sixth man role in Boston, perhaps even with an uptick in all-around efficiency.
Simons has proven in the past that he can play off of star-caliber players and produce in an efficient manner. In 2021-22 and 2022-23, for instance, he operated as a second or third option alongside Damian Lillard and either Jerami Grant or CJ McCollum.
In Boston, Simons will find himself in a similar position with Jaylen Brown, Payton Pritchard, and Derrick White playing a selfless yet high-usage style as starters.
Celtics empowering Anfernee Simons to embrace strengths as sixth man
The primary reason for optimism is that Simons has consistently proven to excel when playing away from the ball. He shot 37.7 percent on catch-and-shoot threes in 2024-25, which was actually a low number for him relative to previous seasons.
Simons shot 42.7 percent in said scenarios in 2023-24, 39.2 percent in 2022-23, a mind-blowing 47.8 percent in 2021-22, and an even crazier 51.4 percent in 2020-21.
On a Celtics that has led the NBA in three-point field goal attempts across each of the past two seasons, Simons should feast offensively. He should also help Boston generate more off-ball action after they ranked an elite but still indicative No. 10 in catch-and-shoot threes in 2024-25.
The Celtics have a tendency to fall in love with isolation basketball—only the LA Clippers attempted more ISO shots than Boston in 2024-25—and Simons can help resolve that potential issue.
Anfernee Simons is the elite catch-and-shoot specialist Boston needs
Simons is no stranger to employing isolation tactics, of course, as a player who has been cast as a leading scorer in recent years. His ability to blend elite off-ball efficiency with proficiency as a shot creator, however, could prove essential to striking an ideal balance in Boston.
Boston lost a considerable amount of depth this offseason and Simons is uniquely qualified to take on the burden of leading a depleted second unit as both a scorer and playmaker.
In addition to being a high-volume scorer, Simons has alternated between lead and supporting facilitating roles. He's not be confused with a pure point guard, but he's averaged 5.1 assists to just 2.3 turnovers over the past two seasons.
Considering the Celtics lost 9.9 assists per game between Jayson Tatum's injury and Holiday's departure via trade, the door is open for Simons to continue to thrive.
With clear offensive value, Simons is even average defense away from being a clear frontrunner for Sixth Man of the Year. A strong case can be made that he's the most proven and productive reserve in the running for the award, and Boston should be competitive enough for the honor to be viable.
Despite being acquired for financial reasons, Simons could walk away from the 2025-26 season with the Sixth Man of the Year award if the Celtics' current lineup holds.