BOSTON — For Anfernee Simons, the goal has always been to contribute to winning. On Media Day, as he spoke to reporters for the first time since he was unexpectedly traded from the Portland Trail Blazers to the Celtics, Simons made clear that winning was his undeniable, number one priority.
“We want to win, and I want to win,” he said in September. “I want to contribute to winning at the highest level. And so whatever, how that looks — I’m fine with.”
While the outside world debated whether Simons would be starting or coming off the bench, he was simply grateful to join a championship organization.
“That’s one of the things I’m excited about – just being around other great players like JB, Derrick [White], Payton [Pritchard], Sam [Hauser] – they all played winning basketball at a high level for multiple years now, and I want to be able to join and contribute to that as well.”
Almost four months later, the 26-year-old has more than walked the talk, giving the Celtics his best effort on a nightly basis, regardless of what his on-court opportunity has looked like.
And, there’s no denying that his role in Boston has been vastly different from the one he had in Portland these past three years. This season, Simons is averaging 13.5 points per game (nearly 10 points less than what he averaged two seasons ago in Portland). And, he’s playing 23.8 minutes a night, nearly 9 fewer than he was playing last year.
But, while Simons has adjusted from being a primary scoring option to a key bench piece, he’s consistently impressed Joe Mazzulla with his thoughtful mindset and approach.
“He came in with just an open mind of like — what do I have to do to get on the floor?” Mazzulla said. “What do I need to do to play? What do you need from me? How can I help you?”
Some nights, that’s looked like just a few shot attempts, accompanied by his best defensive and playmaking efforts.
Other nights, that’s looked more like the kind of quintessential scoring performance that has been a hallmark of his NBA career; Monday night against the Chicago Bulls brought forth one of those good old fashioned scoring masterclasses.
Anfernee Simons tallies season-high 27 points in win over Bulls
At halftime of Monday’s game between the Celtics and the Chicago Bulls, Anfernee Simons was scoreless, having missed all three of his (wide-open) three-point attempts.
The Celtics led by 21 points despite shooting just 35.7% from the field, and Joe Mazzulla eagerly anticipated just one of his guys catching a rhythm — whether that was Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, or any of the other offensive powerhouses on the roster.
But, in Monday’s 115-101 victory over the Bulls, that player was Simons, who tallied a season-high 27 points on 9-16 shooting; 12 came in the third quarter, and 15 came in the fourth. The Celtics’ sharpshooter also added 3 rebounds and 3 assists in his 27 minutes off the bench.
“He’s a hell of a ball player,” said Payton Pritchard, who Simons has largely backed up this season. “He can play on any team — the way he can create for himself, create for others, or play off-ball. He’s a complete ball player. And you guys see it every night.”
Mazzulla has gone out of his way to shout Simons out in a postgame press conference. Last month, after he played a pivotal part in a comeback win against the Pacers, Mazzulla said he’s felt that Simons has flown under the radar this season.
“[He’s] just a guy that has come in with a great attitude — he’s happy to be here, wants to do whatever it takes to win,” Mazzulla said.
On Monday, in the win over the Bulls, Mazzulla again credited Simons for the offensive bump he’s routinely provided off the bench for the Celtics. While his overall scoring numbers don’t jump off the page, Simons led the entire NBA in plus/minus in December (+128).
“You’ve seen that there’s some games where that run that he’s been on, his stint, has separated the game for us,” Mazzulla said. “But where he’s really been the most consistent is defensive end — his physicality on the defensive end, executing our schemes, executing our coverages, playing with the level of physicality, that’s where he’s been his best.”
Simons’ defense was the biggest question mark around his arrival to Boston. And, while it was an undeniable weakness of his when the season began, Mazzulla has noticed tremendous strides from Simons on that end from when the Celtics season began, to now.
“Not because he wasn’t putting forth the effort, just having a better understanding of what we’re trying to accomplish from a schematic standpoint, which, once you understand the schematics, you can play even harder,” Mazzulla said.
For Simons, this season has been all about adjusting to the daily grind of a championship organization. The Celtics have the NBA’s third-best net rating, the Eastern Conference’s second-best record — and Simons has played a big part through it all.
On Monday, after his season-high performance, he reflected on that journey.
“I feel like I’ve grown so much in a lot of areas, just mentally — how to approach each and every game, attention to detail, and the intensity that we play with each and every night,” Simons said. “That’s the standard that’s been set.”
