A Simons always in iso mode

[otherdave]

I will be in the minority but here goes....

Yes he has been a great microwave off the bench and we have no one else on the bench to fill that role, but what I see is the ball really sticking once he gets it and it annoys me.  Yes its hard to argue when the shot goes in, but if he is still here come playoffs, playing against better defenses, this could be a problem.

I have always favored ball AND player movement, not iso hero ball.  Who should take the shot? ... The open player.

What am I missing here gang??

[Vermont Green]

I see Simons as better when he is off the ball, not initiating things.  I think he is doing what they are asking him to do, as a way to see what he can do.  When he is out high, working the pick and roll, he doesn't look great in my mind.

[Celtics2021]

His time of possession per touch is 3-5% longer than Pritchard and White, the two players he backs up.  It is a little slower, but not much.  It is also a relic of earlier in the season for when he was learning his role on the team and his teammates.  In the last 15 games he now has fewer second per touch than Pritchard and White.

Simons is one of four players who average 4 seconds per touch (the others being Pritchard, White, and Brown).  No other regular hits 2 seconds, so it is easy to see that Simons role is supposed to involve more isolation, as is the case for the other three as well.  Isolation plays also help create openings for other players.  By being able to score one-on-one, Simons is more likely to draw at least some attention from a second defender, which leads to the passing you would like more of.  He also is less likely to play with multiple other players who can create their own shot than the starters are.

The Celtics offense is highly efficient in general and is virtually the same with him playing as not, so I think this is more of a you thing.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

I think he keeps the ball moving really well for a guy who was force-fed the ball for in Portland and treated like a star in the making.

I think he's a really good basketball player that has made strides playing within an offensive system and playing decent on-ball defense.

He's proven to me he can contribute to winning basketball. I wouldn't mind resigning him, but he needs to realize that players like him don't get star money. Some of them can't even get above a minimum contract (Clarkson, Anthony).

[Neurotic Guy]

I don't agree.  There are times that he's in ISO mode, but less than I expected when he joined the team and less often than JT or JB.   I see him moving the ball pretty well given that his primary value to the team is his shooting.  I also see him putting in good effort defensively and very alert to rebounds.  There are times that he moves the ball that I think he should have kept it. He's a good creator of his own shot, and he's a great shooter, so he absolutely should do the ISO thing at times.  Guy gets scorching hot so want to maximize it when it happen. 

[Redz]

Watching a guy come off the screen and stick a jumper with fluidity is a beautiful thing.  He does this with the best of them.  I think he has really settled into his offense and done a lot less of the things the OP suggested as the season has progressed.