Kristaps Porzingis had some stellar moments with the Boston Celtics. He was an integral part of their NBA title team in 2023, averaging over 20 points per game throughout that season. Availability and consistency were never Porzingis' calling card, though. In two years with the Celtics, he played just 99 regular season games. In Atlanta, he's doing more of the same; for the most part, he makes the Hawks better when he's on the court. He can just never be counted on to be on the court.
The writing was on the wall for Porzingis after last season. That wasn't fully the fault of his own, as the Celtics were put in a position where they had to fully reshape the roster after Jayson Tatum's injury. Atlanta seemed like the perfect fit for him, a team lacking depth in the frontcourt and floor-stretching bigs.
And, sometimes, it does look like an ideal fit. Porzingis has been very good when he's on the floor (17.1 points per game) — but he's missed nearly half of the team's games thus far. And now, with Trae Young heading to Washington, Porzingis is left without a true point guard, which could cap his productivity, as he (and most centers) thrive when flanked by a top-flight facilitator.
This season has been disappointing for Porzingis and the Hawks
Porzingis surely isn't to blame for the Hawks' struggles this year. He was supposed to be one piece of the Hawks' puzzle, which many thought would end with a high seed in the East and a deep playoff run. That hasn't been the case at all.
But the Hawks are getting essentially the same experience with Porzingis that the Celtics got; occasionally very exciting, mostly frustrating that he's not on the floor. It's always hard to get mad at a player for being injured — I'm pretty sure Porzingis doesn't get hurt on purpose — but it does get tiring watching such a talented player not play.
Celtics fans have (mostly) fond memories of Porzingis; he did help win a championship, after all. So to see him fizzle out at his next stop isn't going to bring any spiteful joy to the people of New England. It's pretty wild to see the Celtics six spots ahead of the team that Porzingis got traded to almost halfway through the season, though. This league never fails to surprise.