The Kristaps Porzingis situation has only gotten worse ever since the Boston Celtics traded him only a year and a half ago. However, it's not for the reason many would have anticipated. Porzingis was injury-prone, but his POTS diagnosis, which he contracted when he was in Boston, has gotten so bad that his career may, in fact, be over.
ESPN's Shams Charania reported that Porzingis is considering retirement as his health issues continue to linger, and that Golden State is looking into trading him. For obvious reasons, Boston shouldn't look into that, as it's become glaringly obvious that even if it were just to save money, trading Porzingis would be a wise decision.
But it also highlights how special his time in Boston was. Porzingis wasn't always healthy - the Celtics knew that going in - but he was exactly what the team wanted him to be: the third option behind the Jays, and he excelled in it.
It's not always easy for someone like Porzingis to embrace that kind of role. He didn't like being the No. 2 in Dallas, and in Washington, he reached a level that could have made him comfortable getting the majority of the shots. However, when he became a Celtic, he more or less became Miami Chris Bosh.
He embraced being third in pecking order, meaning he was the safety valve when the Jays were covered, as he could pop out for three, roll to the basket for the lob, or he could exploit mismatches in the post when he had them. Better yet, he was an elite rim protector. He fit the Bosh role to a T.
It more or less made the Celtics invincible. While the team could easily survive in his absence, there's no telling how good Boston would have been if Porzingis wasn't injury-prone.
At least his skills went into something worthwhile
It's also true that Porzingis didn't factor all that much into Banner 18, but at least when he had a clear runway, he ran with it. Everyone will remember Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals, in which Porzingis poetically torched his former team as he went off in the first half, effectively ending the game before halftime.
That was the highlight of his part in the Celtics winning the title, even if it was small. Two years later, it makes it more precious that Porzingis did what he could despite the obstacles. At least he was able to turn himself into something Boston will always remember. Even better is that despite dealing with an injured ankle, Porzingis earnestly tried to fight through it.
If it weren't for the second apron, Porzingis would probably still be in Boston. It's sad to say that, at the same time, they'd be in trouble if he were still a Celtic. However, for someone who only played two years with the team, he definitely left an impression. An impression that should be remembered, especially with what he's been forced to go through since.
Add us as a preferred source on Google