Kristaps Porzingis's quiet evening offensively in the Boston Celtics' 103-86 win over the Orlando Magic in their series opener was one of the matchup's more surprising developments.
The former All-Star finished with five points on 1/8 shooting. He only took two three-point attempts and was off the mark on both.
Against a Magic team who limited opponents to the fewest three-point attempts and makes in the regular season, Boston's having a seven-foot-two center with extended range figures to be a critical weapon offensively.
It's what makes Porzingis only hoisting two shots from behind the arc even more surprising than his lack of scoring on Sunday.
Speaking Tuesday afternoon at the Auerbach Center, Joe Mazzulla detailed what the Celtics must do to get Porzingis going offensively in Game 2 against Orlando on Wednesday.
"I think the way we screened," started Boston's bench boss. "[We can] play a little bit faster to get him advantages. He does a great job of impacting the game in different ways.
"I really liked his defensive physicality and some of the stuff he did with our offense to create advantages for others. At the same time, he has to do a better job screening, and [we have to] find some opportunities for him."
Porzingis was still impactful in the Celtics' Game 1 win
As Mazzulla notes, while important for the NBA's reigning champions to get their star center in a rhythm offensively, he was impactful in other areas.
That was especially true of Porzingis's play at the defensive end of the floor. The Latvian native was far more effective at protecting the rim than his one block might suggest.
His presence alone empowers the Celtics' perimeter defenders to operate more aggressively. Beyond that, he altered shots without swatting them without sending the Magic to the free-throw line either.
Boston outscored Orlando 32-28 in the paint in Game 1. That includes limiting the visitors to 12 points from that area in the second half. Porzingis's performance was essential to that success.
However, the Celtics also understand he's capable of providing so much more. His doing so will become increasingly important as this series and their playoff run progress.