Celtics’ Jaylen Brown raves about Anfernee Simons’ rapid improvement in Boston

Jan 10, 2026 - 17:30

BOSTON — Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown and head coach Joe Mazzulla are the official founders of “Celtics University,” a prestigious institution that develops NBA talent and advances every member of the Green Team’s understanding of basketball. And if the “C.U.” professors have a star student almost halfway through the regular season, it’s Celtics guard Anfernee Simons.

During a Friday night clash with the fourth-place Toronto Raptors, Simons posted 15 points, five rebounds, two assists, and zero turnovers in 26 minutes of play. The first-year Celtic seemingly had an offensive answer every time the Raptors went on a run and his seventh straight game in double figures (his longest streak this season) helped the C’s prevail 125-117 at TD Garden.

“Anfernee’s gotten better since he first walked into the practice facility,” Brown praised after Boston improved to 24-13. “I think he’s a better basketball player in a matter of months. Competes on the defensive end, he understands the game a little bit better as well — like how to play winning basketball.”

Jaylen Brown said Anfernee Simons is a successful student of Celtics University:
“Anfernee’s gotten better since he first walked into the practice facility. I think he’s a better basketball player in a matter of months.” pic.twitter.com/IMIi4wYCyR
— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) January 10, 2026

Although Simons’ role as a bench player could be viewed as a demotion, as he started every game he played in during his three previous seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers, he hasn’t embraced that perspective. Brown, who’s also adjusting to a new role of a sorts as the Celtics’ go-to scorer, applauds Simons for his maturity and flexibility.

“He’s a really talented player,” Brown stated. “He’s probably more talented than the role he’s in right now, but he comes out, he has the right mindset, and contributes to winning every single night, which, I respect the hell out of that.”

How has Anfernee Simons fared at Celtics University?

With 37 games played in Boston, Simons has averaged 23.9 minutes and 13.6 points per outing, his lowest marks since his third season in the NBA during the post-Bubble days. However, he’s also shooting 40.9% from deep, his best percentage since the aforementioned season, and is averaging more minutes in January than he did in December and November.

“Naturally, it has its ups and downs, we’re all human,” Simons said of adjusting to coming off the bench. “But I think I just go back to my past experiences, when it was early in my career, when I wasn’t playing that much, my minutes were up and down, and then kind of gathering the things I’ve learned over the years in the NBA. And just understanding that in these situations, you’ve got to control what you can control.”

While offense has always been Simons’ favorite “subject,” even long before his days at “Celtics University,” Mazzulla is more focused on what he’s capable of without the ball.

“I thought he had a couple great rebounds for us,” Mazzulla stated. “I thought his defense was good in the second half. Most important thing is just doing your job every night. He takes a ton of pride in that. He’s competing at a high level. But I love the role that he’s in, because you come in and it’s just another guy that can playmake for us, another guy that can score for us. But again, I like the fact that he takes pride in his defense.”

Joe Mazzulla on Anfernee Simons tuning out any trade talk surrounding him:
“Ever since day one, he's done a great job at controlling what he can control…I love the role that he's in because he comes in and just it's another guy that can playmake for us.” pic.twitter.com/P49kyUXd3K
— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) January 10, 2026

If Simons had a progress report for his start with the Celtics, he probably went from a ‘B-‘ early on to an ‘A’ right now. His drive to improve would make any professor proud.

“Every night, he gets better and better,” Mazzulla said. “He wants to get better every night.”

The next big test for the pupils of “Celtics University” comes less than 24 hours after their win over the Raptors. The C’s will host the 26-11 San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night and celebrate the return of “C.U.” alum Luke Kornet, who helped capture an NBA title in Boston before heading to Texas in free agency last offseason.

Jayson Tatum came up behind Luke Kornet for a big hug
The two NBA champions are still chatting pic.twitter.com/J2Ug5iPlTk
— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) January 10, 2026