Despite the offseason departure of Jrue Holiday, the Boston Celtics remain in good hands at point guard.
Payton Pritchard and Anfernee Simons bring plenty of offensive firepower to the position. Pritchard averaged 14.3 points per game last season, while Simons put up 19.3 with the Trail Blazers. Simons previously compiled a pair of 20 PPG seasons earlier in his Portland tenure.
However, despite the scoring punch, questions remain about the duo’s defensive capabilities heading into the 2025-26 season.
It will be the first time Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla won’t have a proven, elite defensive point guard. After years with Holiday and Marcus Smart anchoring the perimeter defense, Pritchard and Simons have big shoes to fill.
Pritchard’s Defensive Growth
Pritchard had a career year in 2025, capped off by winning Sixth Man of the Year honors.
An underrated part of his improvement came on defense. He set a career high in steals per game (0.9), and, for the second time in his career, posted a positive defensive box plus/minus (0.2), per Basketball Reference.
Due to his 6-foot-1, 195-pound frame, Pritchard was frequently attacked in screen situations during the playoffs, which dropped his defensive box plus/minus to -0.6.
“I definitely need to be more active with my hands. I feel like I do a good job of keeping people in front, making them shoot tough shots,” Pritchard said about his defensive skills. “How can I get more steals? How can I create transition opportunities to get easy baskets and come out and run?”
https://twitter.com/NIKNBAYT/status/1973799216649498740
Boston Thrives on Forcing Difficult Shots
The Celtics averaged 7.2 steals per game last season—tied them for the second fewest in the league—but still finished with the NBA’s fifth-best defensive rating at 101.5.
That’s a clear indicator that steals aren’t what make the defense thrive, but rather forcing tough shots. They held their opponents to an effective field goal percentage of just .522, the second best in the NBA.
Generating difficult shots is one of the areas Pritchard emphasized improving upon.
Simon’s Shaky Defense in Portland
Last season in Portland, Simons posted the second-worst defensive box plus/minus on the team at -1.5. That placed him 161st out of 179 qualified players in the NBA.
Despite that, it was still a career best for him, improving on his career average of -2.1.
“That’s one of the first things we worked on,” Simons said before the upcoming campaign about his defense. “Whether it’s stabbing at the ball, trying to steal the ball, passing lanes, being in the right spot each and every time.”
Simons also added that he appreciated how quickly the Celtics emphasized defense when he joined the organization in July.
Difficult Tests Out the Gate
Pritchard and Simons will be tested right away when the season begins, as the Celtics will face some of the league’s top scoring guards. In their first five games, Boston is set to play against Tyrese Maxey, Jalen Brunson, Cade Cunningham, Jordan Poole and Donovan Mitchell.
For Pritchard and Simons—both eager to prove themselves defensively—those early matchups will provide an instant opportunity to set the tone for the season.
Leave a comment