Welcome to Boston, Anfernee Simons!

[bucknersrevenge]

Guess we're gonna find out how good Joe is at coaching defense and motivating others to play. That's why they extended him. Time to earn your money.

[djFan71]

I am interested to see how he improves if he stays. Not just defensively. Offensively, there's the scoring, secondary playmaking and pace as good points - basically the on ball stuff. But, I think he can improve significantly off ball - cuts/picks to get guys open, relocations, etc.

I still lean to he's more useful this year, less so with Tatum back. But, if he improves off ball, gets respectable-ish on D and somehow resigns cheap, great.

[bucknersrevenge]

I am interested to see how he improves if he stays. Not just defensively. Offensively, there's the scoring, secondary playmaking and pace as good points - basically the on ball stuff. But, I think he can improve significantly off ball - cuts/picks to get guys open, relocations, etc.

I still lean to he's more useful this year, less so with Tatum back. But, if he improves off ball, gets respectable-ish on D and somehow resigns cheap, great.

Am I wrong to believe as much as I do in Joe and our coaching staff and the level of accountability that has become the structure here? From the veterans on down, from Brad on down, there feels like a singlemindedness of purpose here the last few years. For the most part, guys come here and leave better than they were than when they first arrived. If there's anyone that I want to drop a "lump of clay" like Anfernee Simons into, it's this one. Now I realize that he's 27 and not 23 so for all we know he may just be who he's gonna be. But you and I talked already about him wanting a different scene to play in front of. Is it a challenge to ask Simons to become a better more efficient player than he's been here? Sure. But tell me that Joe and our staff with what we know about them and hear about them, are not the best equipped to take on that challenge. Is there honestly a better situation for a guy like this to succeed in?? I for some reason keep coming back to the psychology of all this.

[itrsteve]

Is there honestly a better situation for a guy like this to succeed in?? I for some reason keep coming back to the psychology of all this.

Bingo.

Feels like the general consensus is that he's a liability on the books which I don't feel to be the case whatsoever. The fact that we got off Holiday's contract and got back a talent like Simons is house money. It would be insane to at least not see how it works at least up until the trade deadline.

[hickfromfrenchlick]

Is there honestly a better situation for a guy like this to succeed in?? I for some reason keep coming back to the psychology of all this.

Bingo.

Feels like the general consensus is that he's a liability on the books which I don't feel to be the case whatsoever. The fact that we got off Holiday's contract and got back a talent like Simons is house money. It would be insane to at least not see how it works at least up until the trade deadline.

I feel the same way. We’re playing with house money this year. Let’s see if Simons or anyone else pleasantly surprises us and plays their way into the team’s future—or least increases their trade value.

Simons was good value for unloading an old, super expensive guy.

[djFan71]

I am interested to see how he improves if he stays. Not just defensively. Offensively, there's the scoring, secondary playmaking and pace as good points - basically the on ball stuff. But, I think he can improve significantly off ball - cuts/picks to get guys open, relocations, etc.

I still lean to he's more useful this year, less so with Tatum back. But, if he improves off ball, gets respectable-ish on D and somehow resigns cheap, great.

Am I wrong to believe as much as I do in Joe and our coaching staff and the level of accountability that has become the structure here? From the veterans on down, from Brad on down, there feels like a singlemindedness of purpose here the last few years. For the most part, guys come here and leave better than they were than when they first arrived. If there's anyone that I want to drop a "lump of clay" like Anfernee Simons into, it's this one. Now I realize that he's 27 and not 23 so for all we know he may just be who he's gonna be. But you and I talked already about him wanting a different scene to play in front of. Is it a challenge to ask Simons to become a better more efficient player than he's been here? Sure. But tell me that Joe and our staff with what we know about them and hear about them, are not the best equipped to take on that challenge. Is there honestly a better situation for a guy like this to succeed in?? I for some reason keep coming back to the psychology of all this.

To accept this you have to assume Joe and staff are significantly better than Chauncey and staff and all the other coaches he's had, right? I do think it's possible, but that's what we're saying here. But, like you said, it starts up top and Brad on down is a much better system than POR has before you even get to coaching. And, he hasn't played with guys like JB, JT, White, or Pritchard yet - or at least that concentration of players who are that structured, process oriented, and just psycho work ethic.

So, I think it's pretty clear this is one the best environments for him, and the best chance he has to make the jump. It's truly on him to want to improve in all those areas, and it's definitely possible. It could all click and he'll be another DWhite monster type evolution.

My post was mainly addressing that it's not just "oh he needs to try on D and he'll be awesome", he has plenty of work on the offensive end as well. Great talent, but it needs to evolve beyond just being good with the ball in his hands.

And... for 26-27 forward, does this help us? If he does everything we want, he probably prices himself out of resigning here. And, while his skillset is very needed this year without Tatum, it's less so going forward. I don't think we can allocate the $ to a 3rd scorer behind JB/JT when our frontcourt needs so much work and we already have White and Pritchard.

[Jammer]

I always liked Simons, offensively, in Portland. I think the problem there was that they were very reliant on him to produce points. He struck me as a guy who can be very hot, or very cold. IF on the days he is cold HE COULD DEFER TO BROWN, WHITE, PRITCH & Hauser his shooting percentages would go up (he's a very good shooter already) and he would not be the drain that he was in Portland when he was forcing shots on days he didn't have it or a good look.

Anyway, if they can get thru to his HEAD to be a little more JUDICIOUS in his shot attempts, factoring how he's playing THAT DAY, he could be a real shot in the arm if the Celts only have to watch him let it fly when he's in rhythm. At least that's my hope ...

As far as defense, well, that's a challenge for the coaching staff to get results. They sure got enough guys on the payroll, you would think someone, Joe or an Assistant, should be able to teach him right on the defensive end.

[bucknersrevenge]

I always liked Simons, offensively, in Portland. I think the problem there was that they were very reliant on him to produce points. He struck me as a guy who can be very hot, or very cold. IF on the days he is cold HE COULD DEFER TO BROWN, WHITE, PRITCH & Hauser is shooting percentages would go up (he's a very good shooter already) and he would not be the drain that he was in Portland when he was forcing shots on days he didn't have it or a good look.

Anyway, if they can get thru to his HEAD to be a little more JUDICIOUS in his shot attempts, factoring how he's playing THAT DAY, he could be a real shot in the arm if the Celts only have to watch him let it fly when he's in rhythm. At least that's my hope ...

As far as defense, well, that's a challenge for the coaching staff to get results. They sure got enough guys on the payroll, you would think someone, Joe or an Assistant, should be able to teach him right on the defensive end.

Last year Simons was Bottom 5 in Rim Shot Quality and Bottom 10 in Shot Quality overall which suggests 3 things about his shot attempts:

1) He's not nearly as good as he thinks he is. He simply HAS to be smarter about his selection and be a more willing passer when necessary

2) He had ZERO open driving lanes all year. Nobody on that team was a reliable spacer to open up any free space to get to the rim. As such, he constantly got not only the opponents best perimeter defender, but often had coverage shaded his way because they knew Simons was all Portland had in terms of a playmaker.

3) Simons was horribly miscast as the #1 guy and probably forced up a lot of shots just by sheer will alone. Eventually they will tire you out, both physically and mentally.

The hope is that here in Boston, those issues should be corrected. If so, he can be productive.

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[hugepatsfan]

IMO, if he does succeed here, it will lead to duplication with Pritchard. I don't think the two of them are going to coexist well in 30ish minute per game roles. Too weak/targetable defensively together. If he shines here to where he looks to be worth big money, then they'll probably capitalize on that value and trade him because I don't think he's the type of guy they'd want to make big investment in after their core 3. If he "shines" in the sense that he's just a good strong MLE type player, or a bit more, then I think they might have to decide if it's worth trading him for value on that type of extension next year (or S&T) or if it's better to keep him at say $18M/year and trade Pritchard on his low cost deal which should be valued higher. And if he flops then he flops and is eventually gone.

Personally, my money is on the dust settling on him being a good $18M/year player and it being better to extend him for that and trade Pritchard for high value on draft day next year if we can lock Simons up for that.

[Hal14]

IMO, if he does succeed here, it will lead to duplication with Pritchard. I don't think the two of them are going to coexist well in 30ish minute per game roles. Too weak/targetable defensively together. If he shines here to where he looks to be worth big money, then they'll probably capitalize on that value and trade him because I don't think he's the type of guy they'd want to make big investment in after their core 3. If he "shines" in the sense that he's just a good strong MLE type player, or a bit more, then I think they might have to decide if it's worth trading him for value on that type of extension next year (or S&T) or if it's better to keep him at say $18M/year and trade Pritchard on his low cost deal which should be valued higher. And if he flops then he flops and is eventually gone.

Personally, my money is on the dust settling on him being a good $18M/year player and it being better to extend him for that and trade Pritchard for high value on draft day next year if we can lock Simons up for that.

Fair point..another reason why the fit isn't ideal with Simons is that you wouldn't be able to put your 5 best players on the floor together. If Simons stays and when Tatum is back our top 5 would be tatum/brown/white/simons/pritchard. You can't play them together. Tatum can't play the 5. Not to mention Simons/pritchard/white probably can't play all together either because it's too small of a lineup.

And our 6th best player might be Hauser..so then you can't have 5 of your top 6 guys on the floor. Which means you're always playing at least 1 guy out there who isn't a top 6 player. Which is not ideal roster construction.

So I don't think it needs to happen right now necessarily but at some point you're ideally trading either Simons/Pritchard/Hauser for a big who is a top 5 player on the team, resulting in a starting 5 of: Tatum, Brown, White, New Big + either Simons/Pritchard/Hauser with whoever is left between Simons/Pritchard/Hauser who isn't in starting lineup or traded as 6th man. Then Queta slides down to the backup big man spot, which is likely the spot he's best suited for.