The Boston Celtics competed in 3 of the last 4 Eastern Conference Finals. However, since their loss to the Warriors in the 2022 NBA Finals, the team has struggled to take the next step forward. Well, this off-season seemed to rectify that. Starting with the historic contract extension of Jaylen Brown, the Celtics made their intentions clear. The Brown – Jayson Tatum pairing was going to be the future of the franchise. And they made some big moves to surround the young duo with world class talent. Notably, ‘The Unicorn’ was the first piece of the puzzle.
The Latvian native joined the NBA in 2015 with great dreams. In his rookie season with the New York Knicks he exhibited immense potential. But his performances have been inconsistent. Plagued with major injuries, the center spent a good portion of the last few seasons in recovery or on the bench. Now playing with a title contender, all eyes are, once again, on Kristaps Porziņģis.
Things look bright for Porziņģis
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The son of European professional basketball players, the 7 ft 3 Unicorn was destined for greatness. He averaged 14.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.9 blocks per game as a rookie. The Boston Celtics traded away Marcus Smart, Danilo Gallinari, Mike Muscala and the 35th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft to land Kristaps Porziņģis.
During his chat with the media, the 7’3 big admitted that he’s been enjoying the looks he’s getting on the team. This could be attributed to the presence of the two Jays on the squad.
Previously, KP’s position in other teams meant that he was often double teamed with tighter defensive coverage. But with Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum drawing attention away from him, there are more opportunities for the Latvian to score.
Kristaps Porzingis says he’s been getting so many open looks because of how much attention the Jays draw: “This was a good game for us to keep building that chemistry.”
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) October 18, 2023
Kristaps came off from a good position last season. He finished the year with averages of 23.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.5 blocks. If he manages to maintain the same and add a bit more defensively this season, things do look bright for the men in green.
The new-look Boston Celtics
The franchise has had several big changes over the off-season.
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While Marcus Smart was traded, there have also been good additions to the team. Besides Porziņģis, Jrue Holiday joins them from their rival, the Milwaukee Bucks. And the combination of these two should bolster the team’s defensive power.
It will particularly be needed since Robert Williams III, the Time Lord, was traded to Portland to land Holiday. Nonetheless, with the team ironing out all the kinks over the preseason games, things do look hopeful for them.
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As they continue to gain chemistry and become familiar with their new teammates, the Celtics will be hoping to repeat their 2008 championship victory, overtaking the Los Angeles Lakers as the most-winning franchise in the NBA with their 18th title.
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