How Does Kristaps Porzingis Fit With The Boston Celtics?
The Boston Celtics were the first team to express interest in acquiring Kristaps Porzingis through a three-team trade, signaling their intention to bolster their interior defense by adding size. With the arrival of the talented player known as "The Unicorn," the Celtics sought to complement their aging center Al Horford and enhance their defensive presence in the paint.
With the three-team trade, the Celtics got the Latvian big man, the 25th pick of the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2023 NBA draft, and the 2024 first-round pick top-four protected via the Golden State Warriors. In return, this team had to let go of former defensive player of the year Marcus Smart, Danilo Gallinari, Mike Muscala, and the 35th pick in the 2023 NBA draft.
Once it was made official, Porzingis agreed on a $60 million, 2-year extension that will keep him in a Celtics uniform until 2026.
Kristaps Porzingis and the Celtics are expected to finalize a 2-year, $60M extension, per @ChrisBHaynes https://t.co/S48q8XPE8S
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, both 26 years old and under, are in the prime of their careers, the Celtics felt that they needed the former 2018 NBA All-Star to be their third option in scoring and defending the paint against the likes of Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo in the Eastern Conference.
There is no clear path yet if Grant Williams will return to the Celtics this upcoming season which makes the trade for the 7-foot-3 forward-center more valuable.
The Celtics rotation now includes Porzingis as a key piece, the depth chart will look like this.
Boston Celtics Rotation Players Heights and Wingspans
Derrick White 6’5 (6’8)
Jaylen Brown 6’6 (7’0)
Jayson Tatum 6’8 (6’11)
Kristaps Porzingis 7’3 (7’6)
Robert Williams III 6’9 (7’6
Malcolm Brogdon 6’5 (6’11)
Sam Hauser 6’8 (6’9)
Al Horford 6’9 (7’1) https://t.co/Zyl6uMKOvn
The presence of Porzingis and Horford in the starting lineup will give them an intimidating length but they can also go smaller with Robert Williams rounding up the three-man rotation at the power forward and center position.
Kristaps Porzingis is coming off one of his healthiest seasons
Throughout his 8-year career in the NBA, Porzingis has been an intimidating force in the paint averaging 1.8 blocks and 7.9 rebounds. He also has a decent 36% career three-point percentage which allows his team to spread the floor.
Dubbed “The Unicorn” in his days with the New York Knicks, the only thing that keeps the 27-year-old big man from greatness was his durability. Prior to last season, he only played a total of 94 games.
During his last year with the Wizards, he was able to play 65 games, the most in his career since his sophomore season. He was able to average 23.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.5 blocks while shooting 49.8% from the field and 38.5% from the three-point range.
Kristaps Porziņģis: "Very excited when I first heard the news & it was a pretty easy decision for me" https://t.co/dkI5spBgLu
The Celtics were not only attracted to Kristaps Porzingis' intimidating presence but also his availability. This presented him with a prime opportunity to join a championship-contending team, including future stars Tatum and Brown.