Former Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons is off to a rocky start with the Boston Celtics. The main issue, which is something Blazers fans know all too well, is that he's struggled with inconsistent play. Still, it wasn't quite this extreme in Portland, as Simons appears to be having a more difficult time finding his rhythm in Boston due to a more limited role and fewer minutes, among other factors.
It's a catch-22: the Celtics don't know what version of Simons they are getting offensively on a nightly basis, making it harder to justify minutes in a crowded backcourt, given his glaring defensive limitations as well.
Zach Lowe and Mo Dakhil recently discussed Simons' rollercoaster start to the season on The Zach Lowe Show, highlighting Simons' poor defensive fit with Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla and his inability to contribute as a microwave scorer consistently.
"Simons' impact has been up and down, and almost more down than up," Lowe said. "A lot of games where it's 14 minutes, 2-of-9 [shooting from the field]. Like woah? That's all they're getting out of him? We all know his defensive limitations and Joe Mazzulla's standards for getting on the floor. You still would think he'd just come and be a microwave scorer every game for 25 minutes, and that hasn't been the case."
Anfernee Simons and the Celtics aren't a good match
Simons is averaging just 13.6 points, 2.6 assists, and 2.1 rebounds on 45/40/85 shooting splits this season, his lowest offensive production since the 2020-21 season. His minutes and usage rate have both dipped in Boston, which was to be expected, playing alongside Payton Pritchard and Derrick White. The one positive takeaway is that he's being used more as a catch-and-shoot specialist, an area where he thrives but wasn't able to use as much in Portland because he played more on the ball.
Still, it's clear that Simons and Boston's roster, along with the style of play under Mazzulla, aren't an ideal match.
The Celtics were open to shopping Simons after acquiring him from the Blazers this offseason, and his first 21 games of the season should only increase the likelihood of a trade before February. Teams like the Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets were previously linked as potential landing spots for Simons, but it remains to be seen what direction the former will take their roster, given the uncertain future of superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
It may be challenging for Boston to find value for Simons given his expiring contract, defensive limitations, and inconsistent play this season. Regardless, it's already clear that it's in both parties' best interests to move on.