Boston Celtics beat writer John Karalis revealed his “thoughts on every player” on the team’s roster following the preseason on Friday.
The Boston Sports Journal scribe’s notes on offseason acquisition Anfernee Simons were particularly interesting.
“A bit of a mixed bag, which means we don’t know anything yet. He is capable of putting up a 13-point quarter, but is he truly capable of thriving in a faster-paced setting,” Karalis wrote. “I saw him trying to defend and showing some promise in straight-up situations. However, things changed once he was hit with picks. He needs to navigate those better to be an effective defender. I wish Jrue Holiday were around to show him how. Holiday is still elite at that. So the preseason goes down as a big ‘incomplete’ for Simons. He still has a ways to go.”
The Celtics landed the 26-year-old guard from the Portland Trail Blazers on July 7 in exchange for two-time All-Star Jrue Holiday.
Simons has dodged further trade rumors over the last three months, as some NBA experts believed that Boston could flip the former first-round pick before the regular season begins in a cost-cutting move.
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Now, Simons is primed to at least open the campaign with the Celtics and could either start in the backcourt with Derrick White or come off the bench as the sixth man.
The positives with the 2018 draft pick are obvious.
Simons is a lethal outside shooter and could challenge Jaylen Brown as Boston’s high scorer this season. He’s faced questions about his defense, however.
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Simons finished the 2024-25 season with 19.3 points, 4.8 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game across 70 contests while posting a .426/.363/.902 shooting line.
