Boston Celtics ‘facing immense pressure right from opening night’ after marquee addition

Following the blockbuster acquisition of Kristaps Porzingis, the Boston Celtics are under “immense pressure” to win right from the start of the 2023-24 season — this, at least, according to CBS Sports’ Jack Maloney.

“As long as Porzingis stays healthy, he’ll have a chance to contend for a title for the first time in his career alongside Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in a reimagined big three,” Maloney prefaced before saying, “This team, and this trio, will be facing immense pressure right from opening night after a disappointing loss in the Eastern Conference finals at the hands of the eighth-seeded Miami Heat.”

Landing Porzingis was the C’s major move of the offseason so far, and it could wind up being the only marquee move the franchise makes. The team is not seeking a trade for point guard Malcolm Brogdon after he was initially included in the transaction that’d land Porzingis in Boston per The Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach. The Payton Pritchard front has also been quiet after he requested a trade ahead of this past season’s deadline.

Kristaps Porzingis on what he’ll do to help the Boston Celtics

Porzingis didn’t make any grandiose promises about bringing not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, or six titles to Boston Celtics fans, but the Latvian big man did promise to do what he can to help the team win.

“I don’t know if I’ll be ready,” Porzingis said. “You know? Who knows? But, I’m gonna do everything I can to help this team,” Porziņgis said. “I just have a taste of it, right? I have a taste of it and I know what it’s like. And the first playoff series were really good, just didn’t have luck. And the second one was, it was a different style, a different kind. And each series is completely different, so I’m gonna have to be ready for any kind of scenario.”

While Porzingis himself isn’t putting the pressure on his team ahead of the 2023-24 season, the media and the sportsbooks certainly are.

https://twitter.com/br_betting/status/1671881941082341381

Until Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are broken up, the expectations will be through the roof for the Celtics from all corners of the NBA world.