Anfernee Simons’ utilization and minutes within the 2025–26 NBA season have been inconsistent. For a participant making $25 million who averaged 32.9 minutes per sport over the previous 4 years and continues to be solely 26, it’s uncommon for his position to fluctuate this a lot. However the purpose for that inconsistency isn’t sophisticated: to earn minutes on a Joe Mazzulla workforce, it is advisable do greater than shoot the ball successfully.
If Anfernee Simons desires to play extra, the method is straightforward: rebound higher and play barely higher protection. The Celtics’ offense has exceeded expectations, however they’re constructing a defensive id—flying round, gang-rebounding, forcing turnovers, guarding their yard, and scrapping on each possession. Simons hasn’t match that mildew.
A typical basketball trope you’ll hear is, “Protection is generally effort.” I disagree. Effort issues, sure, however protection can also be a ability. Taking part in exhausting is a ability. Derrick White didn’t turn out to be among the best shot-blocking guards within the league accidentally—he honed that craft. Based mostly solely on their bodily dimensions, Simons ought to be capable to replicate a portion of White’s defensive impression. Each are six-foot-four, athletic guards; Simons might even be the higher athlete, as evidenced by his dunk contest displaying. The tape says in any other case.
Display screen navigation is difficult. Celtics followers have been blessed with watching a number of the finest display screen navigation within the league for near a decade between Marcus Good, Jrue Vacation, and Derrick White. Simons finally ends up behind the play, doesn’t impression the ball handler, or make an try to impression the move to Nic Claxton. To be honest to Simons, Garza isn’t making Simons’ life any simpler.
I don’t suppose this can be a lack of effort. Simons tries to impression Michael Porter Jr’s shot, which he misses, however then Simons proceeds to utterly lose Terance Mann and quit a simple dunk.
Simons will get swallowed by a Brook Lopez display screen at halfcourt and doesn’t make an important effort to get again into the play. Joe Mazzulla appears very completely happy as he calls a timeout.
On some NBA groups, elite scoring alone earns you as many minutes as you need. In Boston, everybody is predicted to contribute on the margins. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum have set that commonplace. Being an elite scorer doesn’t excuse you from impacting the sport in different methods.
If Simons desires extra enjoying time, he may begin by matching Payton Pritchard’s effort on the glass. Simons has an offensive rebounding share of simply 1.2%. Pritchard, who’s 5 inches shorter and much much less explosive, sits at 2.8%. An enormous a part of Boston’s offensive success this season has come from the offensive glass; they rank eighth in offensive rebounding. Other than Simons, no Celtic gamers have an offensive rebounding share of lower than 2.4%.
Joe Mazzulla can not have two units of guidelines. One can’t say: Max out your effort, chase unfastened balls, combat for each rebound, promote out on the offensive glass, or another person will play…then flip round and provides Simons totally different requirements as a result of he averaged 20 factors per sport on a nasty Portland workforce.
Boston is top-10 in each offense and protection and sits third in internet score within the Jap Convention. They’re two video games out of the second seed. I’ve been mistaken about this workforce—they’ve exceeded my expectations, particularly defensively. What Mazzulla is doing is working. There’s no purpose to pressure an Anfernee-Simons-shaped peg right into a Mazzulla-ball-shaped gap.
He’s clearly an elite shooter, particularly on catch-and-shoot threes—he’s hitting a blistering 47.4%. However the effectiveness ends there. His pull-up taking pictures has been subpar (31% from three), and his means to generate pictures contained in the arc has been underwhelming. Simons has by no means been nice at attending to the rim. His profession excessive in rim frequency got here in 2023–24, when he took 22% of his pictures on the rim (forty seventh percentile) and hit simply 58% of them (thirty third percentile). In Boston, each numbers have cratered: profession lows in frequency (ninth percentile) and accuracy (14th percentile). It’s doable he’s nonetheless adjusting and an offensive breakout is coming. I’m doubtful.
Some may argue that Mazzulla’s fluctuating utilization is hurting Simons’ rhythm, so the query turns into: Ought to Mazzulla be attempting to maximise Simons? With the Celtics missing the offensive firepower of latest seasons, it’s an inexpensive thought. Unlocking Simons may give the offense a wanted jolt and improve his commerce worth.
However in actuality, Simons is getting loads of alternative. He’s fourth on the workforce in minutes at 24.6 per sport.
Zooming out, the 2025-2026 Boston Celtics must be prioritising the long run. Prioritizing minutes for Jordan Walsh, Hugo Gonzalez, Josh Minott, and Payton Pritchard makes extra sense than attempting to rehabilitate the worth of a participant who doesn’t match the mildew of a contemporary successful participant.
