Anfernee Simons made his debut for the Boston Celtics in their preseason loss to the Toronto Raptors on Friday, Oct. 10. The offensive-minded guard received 25 minutes of playing time in his first outing, scoring 18 points, dropping three assists and grabbing two rebounds.
When speaking to the media after the game, Simons discussed the nerves and mindset he had heading into the night.
“I was a little nervous at first, but I think the second half I kind of calmed down and started to play my game a little bit more,” Simons said. “This new team. Just nervous of being back out there and also on the new team. So that was pretty much it.”
Simons joined the Celtics as part of the deal that saw Jrue Holiday head to the Portland Trail Blazers earlier this summer. After multiple years of being the Blazers’ primary scoring option, Simons will now need to figure out where he sits within Boston’s offensive hierarchy.
During the game against the Raptors, Simons showcased the scoring talent that will ensure he plays a sizeable role in the upcoming season. He went 6-of-13 from the field and 2-of-7 from deep. The efficiency on his shots will undoubtedly continue to improve as he gets closer to game fitness.
The Celtics Will Need Simons To Improve on Defense
Simons has never been a high-level defender. He’s struggled on that side of the floor for the majority of his career. As such, a large portion of the Celtics fanbase has been concerned about how he will hold up within Mazzulla’s defensive system.
According to Celtics assistant coach Ross McMains, who spoke with CLNS Media’s Bobby Manning for a recent interview, defense has been a primary focus for Simons and the coaching staff to begin training camp and preseason.
“First, be yourself and give us every bit of your strengths that we have,” McMains told Manning. “You can fill it up as a scorer. You can fill it up as a distributor, and then also building his defensive identity and a lot of that’s within him, and this environment is going to bring that out of him and he’s attacked it from day one in terms of his defensive mentality.”
The hope will undoubtedly be that Simons can develop into a near league-average defender. If that does happen, he will be a reliable member of the defensive rotation and one of the better offensive weapons on the team.
Mazzulla Wants Simons To Find a Balance
Simons’ biggest hurdle will be finding a balance between how much he locks in on defense and how he looks to get his scoring up. During a recent news conference, Mazzulla spoke about the challenges Simons faces heading into the final year of his current contract.
“Yeah, it’s a balance, right?” Mazzulla said. “He’s proven he can play at a high level. He can score at a high level. He’s a very talented player. At the same time, we kind of need him to be the best version of himself. Make the guys around him better. So, it’s a balance. He’s coming with an open mind, he’s coming with a work ethic and an understanding of, ‘Where can I fit in?’ So, we just have to make sure, one, we don’t take away his aggressiveness, at the same time, how can we make everybody around each other better?”
Simons first outing for the Celtics is now in the books. He showcased some encouraging skills and will undoubtedly continue to improve. Unfortunately, he will likely be judged on how much he improves on the defensive end, and after just one game, it’s far too soon to get a fair read on those potential improvements.
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