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What Celtics’ Joe Mazzulla told Anfernee Simons about his ‘bad’ defense
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- What Celtics’ Joe Mazzulla told Anfernee Simons about his ‘bad’ defense
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The post What Celtics' Joe Mazzulla told Anfernee Simons about his 'bad' defense appeared first on ClutchPoints .
BOSTON — There's no denying that Boston Celtics guard Anfernee Simons is an elite shooter. But whenever his talents are discussed, it always comes with a caveat about his lacking defensive ability.
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Simons wants to change that, and Boston will provide him with the chance to do so on a bigger stage than the former Portland Trail Blazer is used to. In fact, Simons revealed during media day on Monday afternoon that he's already discussed his previous defensive woes with Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla .
"We talked about it," he said. "He always says that, 'You know, you're not as bad as people think you are.' And so that's good to hear, but also I got to be able to get better in that and focusing on exactly what we need to do on defensive end."
By some metrics , Simons was ranked one of the worst defensive players in the NBA in recent years. Yet, in spite of these struggles, he's shined on the offensive side of the ball, averaging 15 points per game for his career and developing into a true starter who hasn't come off the bench once in his last three seasons.
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What did Anfernee Simons say about joining the Celtics?
Whether or not he starts in Boston remains to be seen , but either way, Simons made it clear that winning is his top priority.
"I want to win," he told the media. "I want to contribute to winning at the highest level. And so however that that looks like, I'm fine with. So [starting] can vary game to game. That's what's been said. And so, I'm pretty just excited about the opportunity to play with all these guys and, like I said, contribute to winning."
Although the Blazers own a title, they're not really seen as a premier franchise across the Association. Simons reached the playoffs in three of his seven seasons in Portland and hasn't made it back since 2021.
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The Celtics offer a very different situation, as they have the most titles in NBA history and currently have the longest active playoff streak. That winning culture is part of the reason why Simons was excited about his trade to Boston . It's also why he knows he has to be better.
"Coming into a culture like this, you have to be able to adapt, or you're not going to be in the position that you want to be," Simons stated.
Coming to that realization shows Simons is ready for the shift from Portland to Boston. Now, he just has to prove it.
"And, you know, [playing defense] is just a matter of if I want to do it or not," Simons said. "It's really that simple."
Related: Celtics GM Brad Stevens sounds off on Al Horford, Luke Kornet exits after failed attempts to re-sign
Related: How Celtics' Joe Mazzulla has bonded with Jayson Tatum during Achilles rehab
