Offseason blockbuster ‘signals massive change’ in way Boston Celtics will play: Analyst

The Kristaps Porzingis blockbuster the Boston Celtics pulled off earlier this offseason “signals massive change” in the team’s gameplan on and off the floor moving forward according to CelticsBlog’s Harris Rubenstein.

“Acquiring Kristaps Porzingis for Marcus Smart will likely go down as a defining trade moment for the Brad Steven’s Celtics,” Rubenstein prefaced before saying, “Not only are you moving on from a pillar of the organization in Smart, but KP signals a massive change in the way the Celtics will play basketball for the next couple seasons at a minimum.” With all that said, Rubenstein did offer that the trade appears to be a victory for the front office as things stand right now.

“On paper, acquiring KP for basically Smart, Gallinari, and Muscala is a pretty outstanding return,” Rubenstein wrote. “We won’t know about the metaphorical changes with Smart going until we, again, get into the season. For now, I say we give the Celtics the winning shade and adjust accordingly later.”

Kristaps Porzingis signals shift to old-school Boston Celtics offensive gameplan

Smart was a player who’d attack the rim with reckless abandon, move the ball up the floor after turnovers, and get shots up early in the shot clock. Porzingis is a back-to-the-basket specialist who gets a good bit of his offense with isolation fadeaways and pull-ups.

The trade-off from Smart to Porzingis means that there will be more post-ups and one less drive-and-kick facilitator, meaning potentially fewer 3-pointers but definitely more alley-oops. There will likely be less transition buckets, but there could be a more efficient shot chart overall.

Expect a slower pace with Porzingis in the mix. The hope is that neutralizes the speed of potential Finals opponents like the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers, and helps the Cs continue to contend with the physicality of teams like the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat in the east.