Celtics
Porzingis’s versatile offensive skillset and pick-and-roll protection ought to bolster Boston’s roster.

The Celtics are reportedly including one other prime expertise to their frontcourt subsequent to Jayson Tatum.
In line with ESPN and the Boston Globe, the Celtics are finalizing a deal and buying ahead Kristaps Porzingis from the Washington Wizards in a three-team swap additionally that includes the Memphis Grizzlies.
As a part of the reported deal, longtime Celtics guard Marcus Good will likely be traded to Memphis, with the Grizzlies’ Tyus Jones and Boston’s Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala heading to Washington. Boston additionally nets two first-round picks with the transfer.
Porzingis is already an intriguing addition given his measurement (7-feet-3-inches) and distinctive skillset, however there are additionally some query marks surrounding Boston’s new commerce pickup.
Listed here are 5 issues to find out about Porzingis, his position in Boston and the fallout from a seismic swap throughout the NBA.
Porzingis is coming off the most effective season of his profession.
Taken fourth general by the Knicks in the course of the 2015 NBA Draft, Porzingis burst onto the scene in New York and impressed together with his distinctive mix of measurement and talent.
However the Latvian-born Porzingis put collectively his greatest marketing campaign as a professional final 12 months with the Wizards.
Showing in 65 video games, the 27-year-old Porzingis averaged 23.2 factors, 8.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks whereas capturing 38.5 % from the 3-point line.
Porzingis puzzled defenses early in his profession resulting from his means to sink each mid-range jumpers and photographs past the arc, however he has continued to spherical out his submit recreation and defensive capabilities since touchdown in Washington again in February 2022.
Porzingis’s means to each area the ground and defend the rim makes him a novel asset and a much-needed addition to a Celtics frontcourt in want of reinforcements behind 37-year-old Al Horford and an injury-plagued Robert Williams.
Porzingis is greater than only a catch-and-shoot large man.
Given Joe Mazzulla’s creed of residing and dying by the 3-point shot, it comes as no shock that Boston would worth a 7-foot-3 behemoth who’s greater than able to sinking photographs from past the arc.
However Porzingis is greater than only a catch-and-shoot large man who inflates his scoring toals by cleansing up the glass.
The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor put collectively an awesome breakdown of Porzingis’s assorted offensive arsenal of strikes final season, highlighting his strides each within the submit and attacking the basket off the dribble.
Porzingis ranked fourth within the NBA final 12 months in factors scored per closeout from 2-point vary at 1.23. In earlier years, the large man seemingly would have settled for contested jumpers that may normally end in low-percentage seems.
However with the Wizards, he routinely switched issues up when pressured, attacking off the bounce and producing high-percentage possibilities by means of dunks and layups after slicing to the rim.
Porzingis’s capturing means will preserve opposing defenses on their toes and suits in with Boston’s offensive technique.
However his means to attain within the submit offers Boston a much-needed aspect up entrance, particularly when contrasted to a giant man like Robert Williams, who does most of his offensive harm off of dunks and transition performs.
Final 12 months, Porzingis ranked first within the NBA in factors per post-up at 1.29.
The subsequent three gamers? Nikola Jokic (1.26), Luka Doncic (1.15), and Joel Embiid (1.10).
Fairly good firm to be in.
Porzingis’s passing means within the submit also needs to open up extra high-danger seems for gamers like Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and whoever else is paired within the frontcourt with him.
Porzingis’ protection offers Boston loads of choices.
Defensively, O’Connor famous that Porzingis can nonetheless be uncovered at occasions on switches. However he was additionally probably the greatest pick-and-roll defenders final season, rating fourth within the league in factors allowed per pick-and-roll at 0.93.
Solely Anthony Davis (0.91), Steven Adams (0.92), and Giannis Antetokounmpo (0.92) ranked greater in that very same class.
The Celtics’ reliance on 3-point capturing may need served as their Achilles’ heel in 2022-23. However their dip in defensive depth additionally hampered their possibilities of gutting by tight playoff contests.
Porzingis could not have the well-rounded defensive toolkit that gamers like Antetokounmpo or Jaren Jackson Jr. boast.
However his strengths on the defensive facet of the ball ought to give Boston extra choices and schemes at their disposal as they appear to reassert themselves as a defense-first membership.
Granted, such an goal is less complicated mentioned than finished when Boston’s prime defender in Marcus Good was the piece wanted to finish this three-team commerce.
Porzingis has had points staying on the courtroom.
On paper, there’s quite a bit to love about this commerce for the Celtics, even when Boston has to maneuver on from a key cog in its rotation in Good.
If Porzingis is on the courtroom for Boston, he offers Boston a lacking aspect within the submit on offense and through pick-and-roll performs on protection.
The problem, after all, is whether or not or not Porzingis can really stay on the courtroom with Boston.
Though he performed in 65 video games with Washington final season, that marked essentially the most video games the ahead has logged in a single season since his 2016-17 marketing campaign with the Knicks.
Together with lacking the whole 2018-19 season resulting from a torn ACL, Porzingis has missed 25 video games or extra in 4 of the seven NBA seasons he has performed.
Given each Horford’s age and Robert Williams’s personal damage points, Boston’s frontcourt could possibly be in serious trouble subsequent 12 months if Porzingis additionally lands on the shelf for an prolonged stretch.
Celtics have some tough (however intriguing) monetary selections forward with Porzingis’ contract.
With a brand new CBA set to drop the hammer on a variety of high-spending groups subsequent season, the Celtics basically have another season to open their wallets in quest of that elusive title.
As such, Porzingis’s choice to decide into the $36 million remaining season of his present deal offers Boston a short-term window to evaluate the following steps for the franchise. If Boston sticks to holding Porzingis on an expiring deal, the group can nonetheless contend for a title in 2023-24 whereas tabling a possible extension for subsequent summer season.
Even when Porzingis walks consequently, Boston then sheds a major quantity of cap area in time for the following CBA to begin squeezing groups (and a possible supermax contract for Jaylen Brown to kick in.)
Nevertheless, Marc Stein of Substack tweeted on Wednesday {that a} Porzingis commerce “is predicted to result in a July extension” for the large man. A trio of Tatum, Brown and Porzingis can do loads of harm collectively long-term.
However the monetary dedication wanted to maintain all three in place with the Celtics seemingly results in a decimated depth chart for the long run.
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