Anferno: Five stats that highlight Simons’ impact on the Celtics appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Anfernee Simons exploded for a season-high 39 points Thursday night in Miami, fueling the Celtics as they erased a 19-point deficit and delivered a gritty 119-114 road victory over the Heat.
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Simons, who has been playing more halves this season, put together his best game of the season while shooting 13 of 28 from the field and 7 of 16 from beyond the three-point arc. Add 10 points to four assists and Simons, who accounted for nearly 41 percent of Boston’s scoring in 34 minutes off the bench.
The Celtics are now 9-2 when Simons scores 17-plus points this season, and 14-15 when he doesn’t. On a night when the core trio of Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and Payton Pritchard all struggled offensively, Simons proved his worth as a microwave scorer with 18 fourth-quarter points as Boston cruised to a must-win victory after dropping three of its last four.
All of this comes as trade rumors begin to circulate three weeks before the trade deadline. Simons, who is in the final year of a $27.7 million contract, is one of Boston’s few moving assets, but his recent performance has certainly given president of basketball operations Brad Stevens more to think about as he plans a path forward.
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On the other hand, Thursday’s game is a stark reminder of how important Simons’ offense can be to a Boston team that ranks second in the NBA in scoring offense. On the other hand, his value may never be higher than this time, and the possible return of Jayson Tatum’s season soon will reach the total value of everyone’s shot.
The Celtics could benefit from adding more size and depth at center, something Simons can help bring. His name will continue to float in these rumors, even if the Celtics ultimately decide the smartest way forward is to carry him through the season and think about the future.
For now, let’s crunch the numbers on Simons’ impact for 2025-26:
It’s hot from the city
Simons is now shooting 50 percent from beyond the arc in his last nine games. That’s up 13.2 percent over his first 30 games on the green (36.8 percent).
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Simons has connected on 37 of 74 3-pointers in those nine games and is a +61 plus/minus in that span. Perhaps most notable is that 88.8 percent of Simons’ 3s this season have come on non-corner attempts, and he’s making 40 percent of those shots (90 of 223).
His ability to produce high-quality looks, especially when in full Anferno mode, is a huge plus for an often-stuck offense.
Simons says: Gravity
The number crunchers at BBall-Index note that Simons ranks 8th out of 508 players in “absolute gravity,” or the defensive attention a player draws even when they don’t have the basketball.
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That’s been underscored by Simons’ assist numbers that have skyrocketed recently, up to 3.7 per game over the past nine games (up from 2.3 in his first 30 games).
When teams send more bodies to take his shot, Simons has been good at creating others. And the attention that should have given him an opportunity has also opened up opportunities for other players on the Boston bench.
Effort at both ends
Celtics coach Joe Mazzella has publicly praised Simons’ defense since arriving in Boston. Trying hard to improve his reputation, Simons always sticks to his matchups, and the effort shows.
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Opponents are shooting 2 percent less than expected when Simons is the primary defender this season. Any negative number is pretty good, and consider that All-Defensive star Derrick White is holding opponents to 2.2 percent below expectations and Jordan Walsh is 1.3 percent below expectations.
To be fair, White and Walsh have the most difficult assignments on most nights, and the Celtics have done a good job of hiding Simons from the smaller offensive players, but effort is the key here. And Simons is clearly trying to show that he’s invested.
In addition, Simons is still very effective at avoiding fouls on defense, drawing fouls on 2.9 percent of the team’s plays.
The fourth punch
When you think of Boston’s scoring in the fourth quarter, you probably think of White and Jaylen Brown carrying that load. But Simons has been quietly soldiering on in the fourth quarter.
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With Thursday’s 18-point final frame outburst, Simons is now third in the NBA in fourth-quarter bench points with 162, behind only Jaime Jaquez Jr. (169) and Naz Reid (163). Simons’ 28 fourth quarter 3-pointers are second only to Cam Spencer (30).
Sixth Person Campaign brewing?
Simons ranks fourth in the NBA while averaging 14.1 points per game off the bench (minimum 20 games off the bench). He posted a +169 in 970 bench minutes, which is fourth-best in the league (and second on the Celtics behind rookie Hugo Gonzalez, +190 in 491 minutes).
Simons is the first bench player in the league to reach triple digits in 3-pointers (106 this season, closest: Tim Hardaway, 99).
