Mar 5, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) drives on Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons (1) during the first quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

Celtics' $100 Million Guard's Defense Called Into Question Ahead of New Season

Originally posted on Boston Celtics on SI | By Ryan Stano | Last updated Sep 5, 2025 4:30 PM ET

The Boston Celtics are going to look much different than they have in the last few years, when they have been preseason title favorites.

Now, they have to figure out how to compete with three new starters.

One new player who looks like he will end up being on the roster before the season starts, despite the Celtics frantically trying to get rid of him before training camp, is Anfernee Simons.

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Simons has proven that he can get hot very quickly from beyond the 3-point arc, but his defense hasn't been great. He's being called out on that end of the court by one NBA pundit.

New Celtics guard is getting called out over his defense

Jay King of The Athletic is not sold on Simons' defensive capabilities heading into next season.

"So what will the Celtics do with Anfernee Simons, who has typically graded out as a significant negative on defense — and who has been, by some well-respected metrics, one of the NBA’s worst defenders throughout his tenure in the league? There’s no doubting Simons’ offensive talent, but, assuming he is on the opening day roster, he will be the most glaring target Boston’s defense has featured during Mazzulla’s time as head coach."

King is not sure that the Celtics will be able to survive with Simons out there on the defensive end if he's in the starting lineup. If he's on the roster, he will likely come off the bench.

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The Celtics still can benefit from Anfernee Simons' offense

If the Celtics end up keeping Simons on the roster, the rest of the team can still benefit from his offensive prowess. King notes that other players would get more opportunities while defenses pay attention to Simons.

"If everything goes right, White and Pritchard should benefit from their additional opportunities and Simons’ defense should improve in the Celtics culture," King writes. "The vision for this team is probably to run at a much faster pace while scoring and scoring and scoring some more. That could work, but the guards will need to be great."

Last season with the Trail Blazers, Simons averaged 19.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game.