For most players around the league, playing at TD Garden is a draining trip on the season’s calendar — a rough, unwelcoming environment built to throw anyone off their game on any given night in Boston. But for Anfernee Simons, stepping onto the parquet floor is something he’s always looked forward to.
Simons, the premier offseason addition made by the Celtics, took the floor beneath 18 championship banners for the first time, donning his new green and white threads. He didn’t make the start, but the 26-year-old still logged enough time on the floor for Simons to shine as the Celtics hosted the Cavaliers for their third matchup of the preseason. It was a true Boston welcome for Simons, one that sparked an impressive performance on Sunday night that spoke volumes about what Simons could bring to the table this season.
Playing behind Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla’s starting lineup of Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, and Chris Boucher, Simons showcased a natural ability to play Mazzulla Ball. He scored a game-high 21 points, shooting 6-of-9 from three with a pair of rebounds, assists, and a steal through 25 minutes off the bench to make himself at home before Simons approaches the 82-game grind of the regular season in nine days.
“Every time I came to play here, I enjoyed the environment and obviously, the fans are top-level fans,” Simons said following Boston’s 138-107 win over Cleveland. “So it’s always been an arena that I looked forward to playing in, and I always thought it was a good shooting gym for me. So I feel like it’s the same thing — great shooting gym, for sure.”
The shots Simons attempted from beyond the arc weren’t usual catch-and-shoot open looks. Simons was crafty with the dribble, challenging Cleveland’s defenders at the perimeter before launching off-balanced, step-back threes confidently to impose his offensive dominance. Simons didn’t play like a bench player; he brought a starter’s presence off the bench, strengthening Boston’s depth and adding a dimension that made it even harder for Cleveland’s defense to contain the Celtics enough to compete.
Simons had to adjust not only to playing in a new setting with new teammates and in a new conference, but also to doing all of the above in a role different from what Simons had previously embraced with the Trail Blazers.
“At first, I was kind of overthinking it, but once I got out there, I felt a little more comfortable,” Simons explained. “Obviously, when you’ve been starting for however many years now, you’re changing the routine you’ve built over the past couple of years. But I think those early years coming off the bench really helped me in trying to understand coming off the bench and the rhythm, and just the preparation. But it was good.”
Celtics fans were engaged from the jump. Mark Wahlberg appeared to film a scene for his next blockbuster, Boston bounced back from Friday’s loss to the Raptors, and Simons got a firsthand taste of what it’s like to thrive in one of the league’s most intense sports markets.
It took just 25 minutes and six shot attempts for Simons to fill TD Garden with a sense of hope for how the season could play out for the (counted out) Celtics, despite Jayson Tatum’s absence. Simons also set a standard for himself that, if maintained, could make it hard for the front office to justify not keeping him for years to come.
For the time being, Simons is ready to embrace whatever role the Celtics deem fit and conducive for racking up as many trips to the win column as possible. Coming off the bench isn’t anything new, and the previous seven seasons of Simons’ career, if anything, have prepared him for his latest chapter, now in Boston.
“Early in my career, when I came off the bench, I just tried to understand the flow of the game,” Simons said. “What we felt like we needed or what we needed when I came into the game. At first, it was difficult. Obviously, coming in, trying to find our rhythm offensively, not having been playing this whole time. So, just feeling out how the game is being played. You get to get a snapshot before you go in of how the defense is playing certain players, and you might get the same coverage. So, you kind of get a good idea of how the team’s going to play.”
Simons and the Celtics will next take on the Raptors for their preseason finale before pivoting to the regular season next Wednesday night.
