Overview
- Against the Bulls, Simons scored 27 points in the final 18:08 on 8-for-11 shooting from three, the highest-scoring second half by a Boston bench player in the play-by-play era and a tie for the NBA mark of eight second-half threes.
- Since the start of December, he owns a 130.1 offensive rating, a 108.1 defensive rating and a +22.0 net rating, with a +168 plus-minus over 15 games that ranks second in the NBA, according to the Boston Herald.
- Coach Joe Mazzulla praised Simons’ defensive physicality and scheme execution as the guard says he has grown within Boston’s standards and embraced a supporting role.
- Boston is 8-1 over its last nine games and has climbed to second in the East, with Simons’ bench scoring helping stabilize stretches when starters struggle.
- His expiring contract of about $27.7 million keeps him in trade conversations, with ESPN insiders identifying it as Boston’s most realistic financial lever, though recent local analyses argue the Celtics should keep him.