Boston Celtics: Jayson Tatum-Jaylen Brown-Kristaps Porzingis trio will be “tough to defend”
Next season, the Boston Celtics will sport one of the NBA's top trios in Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and newcomer Kristaps Porzingis.
All three have been selected to at least one All-Star game and are capable of dropping 40 points on any given night. ClutchPoints writer Diego Vergel de Dios said the talented group will be difficult to guard:
"A big three of Tatum, Brown, and Porzingis will be tough to defend, but the meshing together as a trio along with the rest of the crew remains to be seen in Beantown."
Tatum and Brown have played six seasons together, leading Boston to the Eastern Conference Finals four times. They reached the NBA Finals in 2022 but lost to Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors.
This past season, they fell to the Miami Heat during the conference finals despite almost becoming the first NBA team to overcome a 3-0 series deficit.
Your thoughts on the Porzingis trade? 👇 https://t.co/UXsG9NRHN3
Earlier this offseason, the Celtics acquired Porzingis from the Washington Wizards in a three-team trade that sent Marcus Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies.
What should you expect from the "tough to defend" trio of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Green and Kristaps Porzingis next season?
Jayson Tatum is hands-down one of the league's most dangerous scorers. The former Duke star averaged a career-high 30.1 points per game last season, good for sixth-best in the league.
HISTORY FOR JAYSON TATUM 🔥
51 POINTS AND COUNTING 😱 https://t.co/3wdulBhlFE
Tatum has reached the 50-point mark eight times, including 51 in a Game 7 win over the Philadelphia 76ers during this year's conference semifinals. It was the most points ever scored in a Game 7.
Brown possesses a nice mid-range game as he can consistently knock down the pull-up jumper. The two-time All-Star is coming off a 26.6-point-per-game season.
Porzingis, who averaged 23.2 points a season ago, should prove to be a great addition to the Celtics. The 7-foot-3 center can post up and shoot from anywhere on the floor.
However, Porzingis is injury-prone, playing over 60 games during a season only three times. He must stay healthy for Boston to make another deep postseason run.
Tatum and Brown obviously haven't led the Boston Celtics to a championship yet. The team can finally get over the hump with Porzingis' addition, but it will be harder than it was before.
The team lost two hard-nosed defenders this offseason in 2022 Defensive Player of the Year, Marcus Smart, and forward Grant Williams, who is now with the Dallas Mavericks.