Though Anfernee Simons was thrown into trade rumors for most of the summer, he has a chance to be a perfect fit in Joe Mazzulla’s three-point-heavy offense. If the Boston Celtics choose to keep him on board to start next season, which seems very likely at this point in the offseason, he may end up being a Mazzulla-ball darling.
Simons isn’t a great defender, but his three-point shooting abilities are undeniable. Despite having little offensive firepower around him for the last couple of seasons in Portland, his numbers have remained efficient, and if his past is any indication, Boston could be an ideal landing spot for his talents.
Mazzulla and Simons could go together like Woody and Buzz.
Why could Anfernee Simons be perfect for Mazzulla ball?
For the past three seasons, since Mazzulla took over as head coach, the Celtics have blossomed into the best three-point shooting team of all time—and that’s not even close to an exaggeration.
Not only did they set the record for the most made threes in a single season in 2024-25, but every single Mazzulla-led season is ranked in the Top 5 in the category. The 2024-25 team has the most, 2023-24 is third on the all-time list, and 2022-23 clocks in at fifth.
The only two teams among the three Mazzulla squads are the 2022-23 Golden State Warriors, who rank second, and the 2018-19 Houston Rockets, who rank fourth.
This is where Simons comes into play. With Jayson Tatum sidelined and the likes of Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, and Al Horford all gone, someone is going to have to step up and take more threes.
Naturally, Payton Pritchard, Derrick White, and other Celtics role players will, but a three-point-heavy shot diet is already natural for Simons.
Simons took 593 threes last season, which would have ranked fourth in Boston behind Tatum, White, and Pritchard. However, his efficiency took a small dip from past seasons, as he shot just 36.3%.
But with more talent around him, Simons’ volume and efficiency could take a massive leap. Last time Simons played next to bona fide stars, Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, it was during the 2021-22 campaign, though McCollum was traded midseason to the New Orleans Pelicans.
That year, Simons’ efficiency went through the roof. He shot 43% on corner threes (72nd percentile at his position, per Cleaning the Glass) and 42% on non-corner threes (91st percentile).
During the season before that, with Lillard and McCollum, Simons shot 57% on corner threes (96th percentile) and 40% on non-corner threes (72nd percentile).
With Jaylen Brown, White, and Pritcharc creating space for him like Lillard and McCollum did, Simons’ efficiency could balloon back to where it once was. Combine that with Mazzulla’s inherently three-point-heavy system, and it might just be an offensive match made in heaven.