Just a few weeks back, Anfernee Simons’ fit felt clunky. His efficiency was solid, but it hadn’t translated into consistently impactful minutes. Lately, he’s begun to settle into a clearer niche, and the Celtics’ offense is humming.
The issue wasn’t Simons’ ability to score, but the process was off and in some ways his style contradicted the Celtics’ system. He was leaning on what he knew — isolation scoring and heavy on-ball usage — instead of quick decision-making and off-ball movement.
It looked
like a shrunken-down version of his Portland role. But they asked him to change, challenging him to grow into something different, and he’s accepted that.
Over the last 10 games, Boston has an 8-2 record. In this stretch, Simons is averaging 15.3 points while shooting 45.7% from the field and 47.2% from three. This isn’t just a hot streak either, the change is noticeable in his approach.
He’s making faster reads, being efficient with his dribbles, and curling around screens off the ball. This is a recipe that has made players seamless fits in Joe Mazzulla’s offense. They’re not looking for someone to pound the rock. Boston wants connectors that can extend advantages or score with them.
This shift has transformed Simons into a lethal off-ball weapon, but one that can still create for himself when the moment calls for it. To start the year, he was getting 41.7 touches per game, averaging 4.43 seconds and 3.99 dribbles per touch. In their last 10, that is down to 39.3 touches, with 3.89 seconds and 3.31 dribbles per touch.
Simons is still leaned on for some creation, but often in smaller doses, particularly when starters rest. In those moments, he can operate as a lead scorer before sliding back into a complementary role.
As a result of this, Simons is now boosting lineups with his shooting and serving as a direct compliment to Boston’s best players.
The Jaylen Brown and Simons pairing has risen from a -0.83 Net Rating, up to +2.56 when excluding low leverage minutes. In their recent stretch, it’s climbed to +8.5. This combo always had the potential to succeed, but the selflessness from Simons can make them devastating.
Lineups next to Derrick White and Payton Pritchard are thriving as well, with statistical improvements across the board. Most interestingly, his partnership with Luka Garza has done a complete 180.
They started the year as the first guard and center off the bench and naturally spent a good amount of time sharing the floor. Boston learned quickly that together their defense struggled, and the offense didn’t get a lift either, prompting a change to small-ball.
Since Garza’s return to the rotation, he and Simons have a 132.8 Offensive Rating, the third best mark on the team among two-man pairs. The defense has been equally encouraging, marked by a strong 107.3 Defensive Rating.
This is night and day from how they started the year. What looked like an untenable combo has become a legitimate boost to Boston’s bench minutes. Garza’s willingness as a screener and reliability on the roll is a great compliment to Simons’ pull-ups and movement shooting.
His screens are opening large windows in off-ball actions and providing advantages that reduce the need for excessive dribbling. The relentlessness of Garza’s offensive rebounding generates second chance kick-outs and even creates space with bigs forced to keep an eye on him.
Stylistically, this has been a big change for Simons. It has been a long time since he was viewed as the supporting cast, and it’s not always easy to squeeze back into that role after years as a primary creator. It’s commendable that he’s made this switch, and encouraging how quickly it came. Some players could be stubborn in his position, or just never quite get there. It took him roughly 25 games to understand what was needed from him, and actually put it to practice.
He’s enhanced lineups that had untapped potential, and rebuilt some that looked lost. The fix was simple, but it doesn’t mean it was easy. Many people can identify habits, but don’t always have the vision and drive to change them.
No matter how he performs, there will remain some uncertainty in his future here, but this is the type of player that could be unlocked even more with the return of Jayson Tatum. For now, Simons has done the hard part to fit in and it’s paid immediate dividends.
For the Celtics, this is the ideal version of the bet they made. A gifted scorer that sees the flow of when to sit back, take over, or keep things moving. If Simons sustains this balance, it’s possible he’s found his ideal fit in Boston.
