Michael Pina, a notable NBA journalist for The Ringer, believes Kristaps Porzingis’ role to the Boston Celtics is “more essential than originally expected.”
“Porzingis poses some fascinating and perhaps more meaningful basketball questions,” Pina said before adding, “Where and how frequently will he get his touches?” Who does he look best with? The success of Boston is dependent on these responses.”
Most fans believe Jayson Tatum is the key to the Celtics’ championship chances.
Others may see Jaylen Brown’s ability to overcome recent playoff failings as critical to Boston’s equation. Nonetheless, the C’s chances at Banner 18 appear to be strongly connected to the seven-foot-three Latvian’s success and health.
Why is Kristaps Porzingis breaking the ceiling of the Boston Celtics?
The Boston Celtics offense has been hampered by predictability for the last few seasons, under both Ime Udoka and Joe Mazzulla. The ball would stop moving in late-game situations. Brown, no matter how good he is, is prone to reverting to his worst traits when the chips are down. Overdribbling and ball-stopping have become as common in Celtics games as Mike Gorman himself.
Tatum is the only player on the team who can regularly generate consistent shots for himself and others in crunch time, but he is far from flawless. Everyone reading this can picture Tatum launching a step-back three as the shot clock runs out and the Garden crowd groans. Many people overlook the defensive focus he attracts as a result of rival teams selling out on Brown.
Marcus Smart felt like the only other player who saw the ball when those guys went isolation-heavy. Nonetheless, both the Boston faithful and Smart thought he was better than he was at that end of the floor. Even with the depth in recent seasons, it was always difficult to think that the Celtics could win a championship.
Porzingis enters the picture. The Celtics’ prized offseason acquisition provides Boston with an excellent third banana not seen since the “Big Three” era. With his stature, one of the most sought-after skill sets in the NBA is his ability to stretch the floor at an exceptional level and be productive in the low post. His ability to generate his shot efficiently has improved considerably since his time in New York, and he’s a matchup nightmare for other bigs.
He has monster length on defense and can scare opposing drivers. His mobility has not worsened despite his injury history. His individual defense is adequate, but not exceptional, and he has never been surrounded by so many elite defenders as he is in Boston.
Porzingis can be an outstanding rim protector with White and Holiday on the perimeter and Tatum perfectly matching up with top opposing wings.
Consider the third best player among the other contenders:
Michael Porter Jr. of the Denver Nuggets and Bradley Beal of the Phoenix Suns
Khris Middleton plays for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Austin Reaves of the Los Angeles Lakers
Tyler Herro of the Miami Heat
None of those players has a more balanced impact on both ends of the floor than Porzingis. As a result, many sportsbooks and top-tier league analysts consider the Boston Celtics to be the favorite to win the Larry O’Brien Trophy. The 77th season of the NBA is riding on the shoulders of No. 8, because if he stays healthy for a deep playoff run, it appears like Boston will win the championship.
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