Anfernee Simons eager to help Boston win

Oct 1, 2025 3:34 PM

Anfernee Simons began his career as part of a few playoff squads in Portland, but since becoming a full-time starter, his experience has largely been tied to losing seasons. In each of the past four years, the Trail Blazers finished at least ten games under .500.

Now 26 years old, Simons is getting a fresh start with the Boston Celtics, a franchise that has enjoyed far greater recent success.

The Celtics are coming off back-to-back 60-plus win seasons, though expectations have been tempered somewhat for 2025/26 with Jayson Tatum sidelined as he works his way back from an Achilles injury.

Even so, Simons expressed his excitement about the new opportunity and his eagerness to help Boston continue its winning tradition.

“I was super excited to come here and join a culture that’s already been set,” Simons said during media day on Monday, as reported by Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe.

“It’s something that’s going to help my career out tremendously, playing at the highest level of winning basketball. That’s what I was excited about and being part of it.”

Simons brings proven scoring ability to Boston’s backcourt. Over the last three seasons, he has averaged 20.7 points per game across 178 appearances, showcasing his talent as a shot-maker and offensive creator.

Still, his defense has often been criticized as a weak spot in his game. Aware of that reputation, Simons acknowledged the need to improve and said he welcomes the challenge.

“It’s a matter of if I want to do it or not; it’s really that simple,” Simons explained, according to Washburn. “Coming into a culture like this you really have to be able to adapt or you’re not going to be in the position you want to be. To me, it’s really that simple, and that’s the honest conversations [head coach Joe Mazzulla and I] had about it.

“He always says that you’re not as bad as people think you are. That’s good to hear, but also I’ve got to do the work of getting better at that end and get focused on exactly what we need to do on the defensive end. I’m pretty excited about being pushed to a new level, which I can reach.”

As the Celtics sort through their rotations, there has been some speculation that either Simons or Payton Pritchard could claim a starting role, with the other taking on a key bench assignment.

Mazzulla, however, dismissed the idea that the two guards are competing for the same spot.

“I’ll nip that in the bud immediately,” Mazzulla said, per Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. “Those two don’t go hand-in-hand. They’re completely different.”