He might not have been in their plans at the beginning, but Anfernee Simons keeps showing he belongs with the Celtics
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He carried the Celtics’ offense when the Bulls turned from inept to capable offensively in the second half. And on a night when Jaylen Brown, coming off his 50-point Picasso, missed 18 of 24 shots and looked a step slow, Simons’s energy, offensive aggression, and shot-making were the difference.
He has become an essential part of a bunch that has cemented their roles and outclassed their counterparts. So the talk of moving Simons’s contract, using him as a rental and trying to gain some draft capital, should dissipate, replaced by plans to add to the roster because the Celtics, with the possible return of Jayson Tatum, can win the East.
So the Celtics should keep Simons in their plans and perhaps talk to the 26-year-old about a contract extension in the summer, because he’s the bench scorer the team has sought for years and needs now with Payton Pritchard making the transition from reserve to starter.
“He has come in with a great attitude,” coach Joe Mazzulla said of Simons. “He’s happy to be here, wants to do whatever it takes to win, and has an understanding of that, but also super confident. And we’ve seen different games where that run that he’s been on in his stint, has separated the game for us. But where he’s really been the most consistent is defensive end physicality, executing our schemes, executing our coverages, playing with the level of physicality. That’s where he’s been. He just comes up every day, wants to work, wants to play hard.”
There was speculation the Celtics were shopping Simons before he even arrived in Boston, days after they acquired the final year of his contract from the Trail Blazers. There was no press conference, no opportunity for the Boston media to ask the former first-round pick a few questions. That didn’t occur until media day, when the Celtics decided to keep Simons, at least for the time being.
Eight-year veteran Anfernee Simons is averaging 13.8 points and 23.8 minutes in his first season as a Celtic.Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
Since then, Simons not only has delivered with his best asset, scoring, but has made a concerted effort to improve defensively, which was his primary weakness. The Celtics didn’t require Simons to be an All-NBA defender, but they did needed him to give more consistent effort and adapt to Mazzulla’s help-defense system. He has done both.
“It’s been fun,” Simons said. “I said each game is something different. I think just trying to find ways I can impact the game, obviously, try to score the ball, just little things, whether it’s crashing glass or guarding my man.
“I think it’s been fun, kind of implementing myself into this culture that’s been set and expectation that’s been set already almost halfway through the season. I feel like I’ve grown so much in a lot of areas just mentally, how to approach every game, just the attention to detail and intensity that we play [with]. That’s the standard that’s been set. So, I’ve been pretty pleased myself and how much we’ve been taking on that challenge.”
With eight 3-pointers Monday, Simons has drilled 21 in the last four games, after hitting 69 in the first 30 games. His playing time has increased and so has his production, giving the Celtics a lift when it was obvious they were playing on tired legs.
After the Celtics beat the Clippers on Saturday night to complete their five-game road trip, Mazzulla allowed the players to spend the night in Los Angeles and fly home Sunday morning. He canceled Monday’s shootaround, hoping that would preserve some energy.
That did little to prevent an offensive drop-off. Against the Bulls, the Celtics shot 35.7 percent in the first half and missed 15 of 21 3-point attempts, but they still led, 54-33, because of defense and offensive rebounding. The offense improved in the second half but so did the Bulls, who mounted a rally by hitting 6 of 7 3-pointers in the third quarter.
With a 23-point lead whittled to 15, Simons went on his scoring barrage, knocking down five 3-pointers to keep the Bulls at a comfortable distance. Brown and Derrick White were a combined 9-for-39 shooting, but Simons offered the backup the club needed Monday, and will need for the rest of the season. So, the quiet and affable Simons should be here for at least the rest of the season, having proven capable of thriving in this environment and filling a major need for a team that’s been one of the league’s biggest surprises.
“I think when you understand how we want to play, you find ways to impact the game in your own way,” Simons said. “Whether it’s finding a moment to pick up full [court], figuring out ways like that to make an impact on the game, whether it’s just something like that or something big, getting a steal or getting an offensive rebound, stuff like that. So, it’s been fun trying to find my way to make a hustle play or big plays on defense, and the offensive end.”
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Gary Washburn is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @GwashburnGlobe.
