The summer of 2023 will potentially go down as one of the most important in Celtics history. After another heartbreaking post-season exit, Boston decided it was time to shake up the landscape of their franchise.
They traded away Marcus Smart, one of the most beloved players in Celtic history, in an effort to better complement their star duo Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. They also parted ways with Robert Williams III and Malcolm Brogdon, two key players from last year’s ECF squad.
In return, the Celtics acquired Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday, two former All-Stars who will bring very different things to this team. The impact of Jrue Holiday is a bit easier to foresee. He’s an elite perimeter defender who will be the best “fourth option” in the league.
However, Kristaps Porzingis brings a bit more uncertainty with him to Boston. He has all the talent in the world and a 7-foot-3 frame to go with it. His career has been plagued by injury, but when healthy he has been among the best big men in the NBA.
Porzingis + Tatum/Brown
Since the beginning of the Tatum/Brown era, the best Celtic big man has been Al Horford. This is no knock on Horford, as he’s been rock solid for Boston on both ends on the floor. However, he’s not exactly what you would call an offensive threat or play creator.
Over the past 7 years, Boston has never had a frontcourt player capable of consistently getting their own shot, taking a load of the shoulders of Tatum and Brown. We have seen their late-game offense fail time and time again because it has been so redundant.
It’s been a Tatum or Brown isolation late in the shot-clock that often leads to a forced or rushed shot. This has really been Boston’s kryptonite over the past five years or so. They have struggled to close games out, with most of their woes coming on the offensive side. Here’s where I think the addition of Porzingis will be massive for the Celtics.
Porzingis’ Skillset…
Porzingis brings a skillset we rarely see in the NBA. He was one of the first players to be labeled a “unicorn”, offering a rare combination of size and skill. At 7’3″, Kristaps is a nightmare to guard. He can stretch the floor as well as any big man in the league and is coming off the best 3-point shooting season of his career. He shot nearly 39% on over 5 attempts per game.
This alone can allow Boston to put out a lineup of five legitimate three-point shooters, allowing Tatum and Brown to play in more space. Porzingis is also great in the pick-and-roll, and will work extremely with Tatum and Brown. He is a threat as both a pick-and-pop, and pick-and-roll man. Being able to go to a Tatum/Porzingis two-man action late in games will be a huge addition for the Celtics.
Porzingis has the size to punish anyone on a switch, and has the ability to beat slower big’s off the bounce. While Kristaps is not seen a back to the basket, post-up kind of player, he is more effective than you might think. He averaged 1.18 points per possession on post-ups, ranking near the top of the NBA.
Having the option to throw the ball to Porzingis for a post-up or nail isolation when Tatum and Brown might be struggling adds another layer to this offense we haven’t seen. Having three legitimate offensive threats (maybe even four) makes this Celtics team really scary.
The biggest question mark around Porzingis is always if he can stay healthy. While he is due to miss a few games, I think a healthy Porzingis can truly make Boston one of the best NBA teams we have seen since the Curry/KD Warriors.
