Anfernee Simons presenting Celtics with impossible decision at trade deadline

NBA Trade Deadline week is officially here. In about 72 hours, all the trade questions that Boston Celtics fans have been asking for months will be answered. Perhaps no question has been repeatedly asked more than “What are the Celtics going to do with Anfernee Simons?”

Fans and media have questioned his future in Boston since the moment the notification popped up that he’d been traded here in the first place. His $27 million salary is an easy place to look when trying to cut costs to avoid the first apron or luxury tax, while simultaneously serving as a financial filler in any hypothetical trade.

On Sunday, technically the first day of deadline week, Simons put together an impressive 27-point performance in the Celtics’ blowout win over the Milwaukee Bucks. He checked in midway through the first quarter and ignited his team’s offense, kickstarting an avalanche-type run. Simons and his teammates never looked back.

As Boston now heads out on a two-game Texas road trip, reality sets in that the Pioneers’ Classic game may have been Simons’ last as a Celtic at TD Garden. If it really was the final time he’d grace the parquet as a member of the home team, then it was quite the way to go out.

Anfernee Simons has grown exponentially over the past few months

Really, these past few months have told us all a lot about who the former Portland Trail Blazers guard is as a player and a person. All of the buzz heading into the season, aside from the likelihood that the Celtics re-route him elsewhere, was about his shortcomings as a defender.

For the first month or so, those shortcomings reared their head quite often. Simons would find himself out of place during defensive rotations at times and commit silly fouls. As the season has gone on, however, it’s tough not to notice his growth on that end of the floor.

"And I think the second piece was just getting acclimated to our defensive system, which he's taken a lot of pride in since he's been here," head coach Joe Mazzulla explained after a win over the Miami Heat last month.

“The scoring is what he's done most of his career, but to me, it's just the way he defended, he had a blindside block, had a couple in-traffic rebounds, (and) was physical at the point of attack, just a complete game.”

Yes, Mazzulla was talking about the Jan. 15 win in Miami, specifically, but these are habits we’ve seen more and more from Simons recently.

At least once per game, Simons will guard his yard when opposing teams try to attack him as a weak point. Plus, he’s given the Celtics more than just scoring as of late. Simons actually totaled more rebounds than assists in January.

His commitment to crashing the glass and helping to secure possessions doesn’t go unnoticed. Specifically, he’s made a habit of fighting for offensive rebounds, of which he had 11 last month. It doesn’t sound like a lot, or anything, but for a smaller guard, that’s not nothing -- especially when he’d only grabbed 13 in the previous three.

“It’s cool to see what the game needs and go out and contribute,” Simons told reporters in the locker room Sunday.

Don’t get it twisted, Simons still makes plenty of offensive contributions, too. That part of his game looks far sharper than it did to start the season. There were so many times in October and November that it seemed he wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do in his minutes. The ball would find him, and the only place it’d go is towards the rim.

Now, to his credit and the coaching staff’s, Simons’ bench role consists of some opportunities to create, but the team has maximized him as a catch-and-shoot guy. His sharpness off the catch was obvious from the start. He immediately became an “I think it’s going in every time he shoots it” guy for me. Seeing the team lean into that skill has been a pleasure to watch.

It’s tough to know for sure whether or not Simons will be at TD Garden to face the Heat on Friday, but it’d be great if he were. Unless Boston lands a starting-caliber center who is under contract for a few seasons, it doesn’t feel like trading away the 26-year-old would be worth it.

“Just the opportunity to go out there and showcase what I can do,” he said of his immediate goals when he was traded to the Celtics. “Make some great relationships with some great players and enjoy living in a great new city.”

He’s shown not only what he can do, but how hard he is willing to work to give the team his best on a nightly basis.