Though Simons acknowledges he needs to develop what he calls a “winning player stigma” in Boston, the way he was raised should help him embrace that challenge. Long before he developed into a first-round pick and eventually the Blazers’ leading scorer, Simons learned to soak in wisdom from those around him.

Anfernee Simons admitted there were some nerves in his Celtics debut Friday, but he made his mark in the second half against the Raptors.