Viewed as a straightforward trade asset for a Celtics team many expected to struggle entering the season, Anfernee Simons has instead played his way into Sixth Man of the Year consideration as Boston has unexpectedly emerged as a legitimate contender, according to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.
Simons’ reputation as a scorer was never in doubt. Still, after spending years as a featured option on a rebuilding Portland team, there were lingering questions about whether his game would translate to a winning environment.
The player acknowledged that those doubts followed him and forced a shift in how he evaluates his own performance.
“That’s the challenge, stepping into a new situation, new role and being able to come out and be successful – finding your success within the new role is asked of you,” he said.
“You’ve got to change your thinking. You’re so programmed to think, if I don’t play well offensively, I didn’t have a good game. Now it’s changing, your mind-set. Coming into games you might not score as much but you played good defense, you made the right plays … You’ve got to be able to know that I did everything I could to help the team win in the time I was out there.”
Although Boston still faces longer-term roster decisions, Simons’ seamless integration into Joe Mazzulla’s system has reduced the certainty that he will be moved before the deadline. Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints noted that he would be surprised if Simons ends up being traded.
For Simons, however, the focus remains on what’s happening on the floor rather than speculation about his future.
“I just want the opportunity to win,” he said. “Everyone wants to win a championship. But everybody might not be destined to win a championship, so you want yourself to be in the best position to win a championship. That’s all I want in my career, having no regrets wherever way it goes.”
Atlantic Notes: Simons, Porter Jr., Towns, Sixers Rebounding https://t.co/EZ4tqsNf6F pic.twitter.com/ypMRR7nDW7
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) February 2, 2026
