Boston Celtics guard Anfernee Simons has spent the past five years waiting to get another taste of postseason basketball. He shouldered the responsibility of replacing CJ McCollum with the Portland Trail Blazers, did the same when Damian Lillard was traded, and even helped the franchise turn things around with a strong second half of the 2024-25 season.
After five years on the outside looking in, however, the Celtics are actively gifting Simons a long-awaited opportunity to return to the playoffs.
Simons has been at the heart of trade rumors since Boston first acquired him in a cost-cutting deal centered around moving Jrue Holiday. He remains on the roster in early January, however, and is playing a significant role in the team's 21-12 start to the season.
It's a refreshing development considering, as far back as October of 2023, Simons was on record as stating that getting to the playoffs is his goal. Per Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian:
“We want to win. We want to make the playoffs. That’s everybody’s goal.”
Fast forward to 2025-26 and Simons is well on his way to playing postseason basketball for the first time since the 2020-21 season.
Anfernee Simons is finally on track to play postseason basketball again
Simons has appeared in all 33 of the Celtics' games this season, ranking fifth on the team in minutes per contest. He's also third in three-point field goals made and fourth in scoring and assists. Moreover, he's played mistake-free basketball at just 1.0 turnover per showing.
Though he's struggled in isolation, Simons has even excelled as an off-ball defender, ranking in the 85th percentile in off-ball chaser defense and the 77th percentile in ball screen navigation.
Simons' hard work and commitment to adapting to Boston's culture is clearly paying off. He's played at least 28 minutes in each of the past two games, starting with a win over the Utah Jazz during which he tallied 20 points, five rebounds, four assists, and a steal.
The next time out, Simons played 30 minutes and posted 14 points and four assists as the Celtics defeated the Sacramento Kings to improve to 3-1 on the recent road trip.
It should come as no surprise that Simons' increased involvement contributed to team success. Boston is currently 4-1 when he scores at least 20 points, 9-3 when he finishes with a minimum of 15, and 14-6 when he attempts at least 10 shots.
Despite the apparent surplus of scoring and playmaking guards, Simons has found a way to distinguish himself as a positive influence on team success.
Boston is currently outscoring opponents by 8.0 points per 100 possessions when Simons is on the court and 5.1 when he isn't—a respectable difference of 2.9. Furthermore, Jaylen Brown's true shooting percentage improves by 7.4 percent and Derrick White averages 5.8 more points per 75 possessions when Simons is playing.
With a winning influence and the Celtics at third in the Eastern Conference, Simons is setting the stage for a long-awaited return to the playoffs.