Celtics’ Anfernee Simons Gives Odd Answer On Playing Defense

Boston Celtics guard Anfernee Simons is known for his offense, not his defense.

Still, fans wouldn’t mind if the offseason acquisition improved his defensive game heading into his first year with the team.

Simons offered a curious take on playing defense during Celtics Media Day on Monday.

“Anfernee Simons on playing defense: ‘It’s just a matter of if I want to do it or not. It’s really that simple,'” Boston Sports Journal’s John Karalis posted on Bluesky.

Anfernee Simons on playing defense: "It's just a matter of if I want to do it or not. It's really that simple."

— John Karalis (@johnkaralis.com) 2025-09-29T16:02:28.623Z

The 26-year-old finished his final season with the Portland Trail Blazers averaging 19.3 points, 4.8 assists and 2.7 rebounds per contest across 70 games while posting a .426/.363/.902 shooting line.

Simons finished with a higher defensive rating (119) than offensive rating (115) last season for the seventh straight time to start his career. Defensive rating measures an estimate of points allowed per 100 possessions, while offensive rating an estimate of points produced per 100 possessions.

His defensive rating during the 2024-25 campaign was slightly better than it had been in previous years, however, as he last posted a rating under 120 during the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season. Simons also finished last season with a career-high 1.2 defensive win shares, which is an estimate of the number of wins contributed by a player due to defense.