Kristaps Porzingis changes the Celtics offensively and defensively
The Boston Celtics didn’t make a ton of moves this offseason, but they did make one huge transaction, sending Marcus Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies in a three-team trade, which got them Kristaps Porzingis and a couple of picks in return.
The fact that the Celtics traded a fan-favorite Marcus Smart is surprising, and it shows how far they are willing to go to improve their roster. Although Smart was beloved in the city of Boston, and his departure angered Celtics fans, this move was a no-brainer.
Kristaps Porzingis has had an up-and-down career up to this point, and he is an extremely polarizing player. However, the Celtics are getting an incredible big man who is coming off the best season of his career.
Last season, Porzingis averaged around 23 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and two blocks per game on 62.7% true shooting. He played for the Wizards, who were one of the worst teams in the league, so he didn’t get much attention for his high-level play. However, he had a fantastic season and was awesome on both ends of the floor.
Offensively, he is a skilled big man with many valuable skills, and one of his best qualities is his three-point shooting. Last season, he shot 38.5% from three on around six attempts per game. He was super effective on catch-and-shoot threes, and his combination of volume and efficiency allowed him to rank in the 93rd percentile in BBall Index’s perimeter shooting metric.
This is very important because the Celtics are likely going to start two big men, and at least one of them must be able to space the floor as a three-point shooter.
Porzingis is also a strong offensive rebounder and a decent playmaker. Last season, he had an offensive rebound rate of 6.2%, and 68.4% of his offensive rebounds were contested. He isn’t one of the best offensive rebounders in the NBA, mainly because he plays on the perimeter so often, but this is definitely one of his strengths, and this is a highly valuable skill.
Another great quality he has is his ability to create shots for his teammates. Porzingis is not an elite passer by any means, and his assist numbers have never been great. However, his scoring gravity is fantastic, and he is a good enough passer to punish defenses consistently when they overplay him on catch-and-shoot opportunities. This is a big reason why he created an estimated 5.8 shots per 100 possessions last season, a pretty good mark for a center.
Kristaps Porzingis is a phenomenal offensive player, and although he isn’t a superstar on that end of the floor, he’s a great secondary option who will fit perfectly next to Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Porzingis is a tremendous offensive player, but he doesn’t play in just one direction. In fact, he provides a ton of value as a two-way player, as he is one of the best rim protectors in the league. Last season, he put up ridiculous numbers as a rim protector, thanks to his unique combination of size and mobility. At 7-foot-3, Porzingis is extremely mobile, and he can make quick rotations and erase shots as a weakside rim protector.
He’s remarkably effective as a post defender, too, and this will make him extremely valuable for the Celtics this season, as they’ll likely have to take down the Philadelphia 76ers, led by an elite low post scorer in Joel Embiid, to make it to the NBA Finals.
The addition of Porzingis to the Celtics’ roster gives them a big man with a more diverse offensive skillset than Al Horford and Robert Williams, and it makes their frontcourt insanely good. They can throw out different lineups than they could before, and their frontcourt depth will give them an advantage in the playoffs.
The Kristaps Porzingis trade will help out the Celtics a lot, but it’s not enough to push them over the top and make them championship favorites. For that to happen, they’ll need to see some growth from their stars.