Anfernee Simons is ecstatic to be a Boston Celtic. He is eager for the chance to play in a major market for one of the NBA's most prominent franchises.
His opportunity comes in a contract year. The former Portland Trail Blazers guard is a gifted scorer. He averaged 19.3 points last season. He's a dynamic three-point shooter, effective off the dribble and off the catch. He is also an underrated facilitator. Simons dished out 4.5 assists per game through the last four years. That combination makes him an excellent fit in Boston's offense.
However, as Brad Stevens discussed at media day, the Celtics are challenging him to prove himself on both ends of the court. It's a challenge Simons is up for.
When he arrived at the Auerbach Center podium, the six-foot-three guard acknowledged that he and his new head coach, Joe Mazzulla, had discussed getting the most out of him on both sides of the ball. "We've talked about it," confirmed Simons. "It's just a matter of if I want to do it or not. It's really that simple. Coming into a culture like this, you have to be able to adapt."
Joe Mazzulla discusses his conversations with Anfernee Simons
The seven-year veteran has the tools to be a positive contributor on defense. He has a six-foot-seven wingspan and the foot speed to keep up with anyone.
Yes, his height and lean frame create problems for him on defense. However, he also registered 1.2 deflections and nearly 1.0 steals per tilt last season, per NBA.com. Furthermore, he was on a Trail Blazers team that yielded the ninth-least points per game in the 2024-25 campaign. As Simons stated, he isn't resigned to being a defensive liability. It's a matter of his commitment on that end of the floor.
On the heels of day one at training camp in Boston, Mazzulla shared the following with Hardwood Houdini about the nature of his conversations with Simons about that side of the ball.
"It's just playing to the standard that we have here," said Mazzulla. "The Celtics have been a great defense for a long time, and you just have to be able to do that.
"So, my job is to try to get the best out of everybody. Trying to get everyone to play both sides of the ball. We just have to make that commitment. So, he's committed to that, and we just have to do it as a team."