3 holes the Boston Celtics must fill after adding Kristaps Porzingis
By Ben Grunert
The Boston Celtics made a shocking blockbuster deal on June 22 when they acquired Kristaps Porzingis and two first-round picks for Marcus Smart, Danilo Gallinari, Mike Muscala, and a second-rounder. Brad Stevens sent Boston’s beloved starting point guard to Memphis and dealt the remaining assets from the three-team trade to Washington.
By bringing in Porzingis and his unique skillset, the Celtics will add a whole new element to their offense. The seven-foot-three Latvian averaged 23.2 points and 8.4 rebounds with Washington last season, shooting a sublime 38.5% from downtown. For his size, Porzingis’ shooting is quite extraordinary.
Porzingis will greatly help the Celtics with their overall shot variety, interior defense, and pick-and-roll defense. KP ranked among the league’s best defenders in drop coverage, which should bode well for Boston’s switch-heavy defense.
The star big man also presents an elite post-up option for the Celtics. Last season, Porzingis ranked fourth in the league in points per post-up, only behind Finals MVP Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, and Anthony Davis. At his size, Porzingis is a mismatch magnet with the ability to hunt favorable matchups on the block.
Kristaps Porzingis may see his efficiency skyrocket with the Boston Celtics
From an individual standpoint, KP could see his efficiency spike in Beantown. At its best, Boston’s fast-paced offense creates plenty of high-quality looks, allowing a shooter like Porzingis to feast. In addition, the Unicorn will see less defensive attention than he is used to as he joins the most talented team of his career.
Most of all, Porzingis’ mere presence will open up the floor for guys like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Having a third option of Porzingis’ caliber is all but guaranteed to free up more driving lanes for the Jays. Assuming he resigns with the team, Brown could especially benefit from such improved spacing in the Celtics’ offense.
Despite the positive impact Porzingis can have on Boston, the Celtics are not without their flaws heading into the summer. In their new Tatum-Brown-Porzingis era, the Cs still have some work to do before next season.
Here are three holes the Celtics must fill after adding Porzingis to the team.