Anfernee Simons is learning how to thrive in a new role-and doing it on both ends of the floor.
After two years as the go-to scorer for the Portland Trail Blazers, Simons now finds himself coming off the bench for a Boston Celtics team with championship aspirations. It’s a big shift-from centerpiece to sixth man-but one he’s embraced with maturity and purpose.
From the moment he arrived in Boston, Simons made it clear: he was willing to defend, willing to sacrifice, and willing to do whatever the team needed. But saying it and doing it are two different things.
Adjusting to a new role, especially on a contender, takes time. And Simons is figuring it out in real time.
Take his performance in a late-November win over the Orlando Magic. He poured in 23 points off the bench, flashing the scoring instincts that made him a rising star in Portland. But it was his postgame comments that revealed just how much his mindset has shifted.
“Honestly, just keeping it simple,” Simons said. “In previous years, that was kind of my thing.
Just ease into the game and see how they guarded me, and then kind of be more aggressive in the second half. Here, I don’t have that much time to be able to ease into the game… Just being myself, aggressive, and also making the right plays as well.”
That’s the reality of coming off the bench for a team like Boston. You don’t get 15 minutes to find your rhythm.
You have to be ready the moment your number’s called. And Simons is learning how to bring that instant impact-without forcing it.
Offensively, the talent has never been in question. But defensively, Simons came into this season with something to prove.
In his final year with the Blazers, he averaged 1.2 deflections and nearly a steal per game. Solid numbers, but not exactly lockdown credentials.
In Boston, he’s made it clear he wants to be more than just a scorer.
And the Celtics are noticing.
“Ant has been really good for us the last couple of games,” head coach Joe Mazzulla said after a recent 103-95 win over the Indiana Pacers. “He gets put under the radar a little bit, but I thought some of his scoring stretch tonight, and where he’s grown defensively, helped that unit as well.”
Simons added 11 points in that win, but what stood out to Mazzulla was his presence on defense-his ball pressure, his activity, his willingness to impact the game without the ball in his hands. That’s not always easy for a player used to being the focal point.
“We talk about depth, we talk about guys sacrificing and all that,” Mazzulla added. “There’s no one that’s done that more than him over the transition. I thought he’s handled it really well, and I think when he’s aggressive for us, it makes us a little bit of a different team and those second units, and you saw that tonight.”
That’s the key: Simons isn’t just filling minutes-he’s helping shape the identity of Boston’s second unit. And for a team with legitimate title hopes, that kind of depth matters.
Brad Stevens, Boston’s president of basketball operations, echoed that sentiment. He’s seen Simons not just buy in, but grow in ways that go beyond the box score.
“He’s a quiet guy, but just a super person,” Stevens said. “He’s really come in with a great mindset: ‘I’m going to help the team any way I can.’
Offensively, he knows he’s capable of going nuts in any given game. But then, defensively, I’ve just been really impressed.
He’s picked up, he’s made it hard. I think he’s made great strides in the months he’s been here on that end.
And I’m a big fan. I like him a lot.”
That kind of praise doesn’t come lightly in Boston, especially from Stevens, who helped build the culture this team now leans on. Simons may not be guaranteed to stay with the Celtics past the trade deadline, but his evolution is hard to ignore.
He’s gone from primary scorer to trusted role player, from a guy who needed the ball to make an impact to one who’s finding ways to contribute all over the floor. And he’s doing it while staying true to who he is: a scorer at heart, but a teammate first.
Simons isn’t just adapting-he’s growing. And if he keeps trending in this direction, he could end up being one of the Celtics’ most valuable pieces come playoff time.