(Photo by Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images)
Right now, fans of the Boston Celtics are feeling pretty good about the addition of Kristaps Porzingis.
It is true that he has yet to play a regular-season game for the team, but his preseason output has been impressive and encouraging.
Kevin O’Connor highlighted a terrific sequence for Porzingis during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
In the span of only seconds, Porzingis made a stop in the paint, grabbed a rebound, passed the ball, and then traveled downcourt to post an impressive and deep three-pointer.
“Porzingis is one of the few bigs in the NBA capable of both high level rim protection and 3-point shooting,” O’Connor tweeted.
He added: “KP changes the equation in Boston.”
The Kristaps Porzingis effect for the Celtics:
-Makes a stop in the paint
-Grabs the rebound
-Outlets the ball
-Drains a 3 from deep
Porzingis is one of the few bigs in the NBA capable of both high level rim protection and 3-point shooting. KP changes the equation in Boston. pic.twitter.com/BnV4CVNmTP
— Kevin O’Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) October 12, 2023
The Celtics are eager to see Porzingis perform like this all season long.
There is no doubt that he’s one of the most versatile big men in the league.
Last season, he was scoring 23.2 points a game, along with 8.4 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, and 2.1 three-pointers.
When he’s able and healthy, he can be all over the place and make a difference on both ends of the court.
This is exactly what the Celtics need.
They lost a few star players during the summer, including Marcus Smart, Robert Williams III, and Malcolm Brogdon.
Each of those departures poked holes in both the team’s offense and defense.
But Porzingis is proving that he can easily pick up the slack and do it all for his new crew.
However, fans are still worried because of the Latvian big man’s troubling history with injuries.
If he remains healthy for the entire season, he truly could change the equation for the Celtics, like O’Connor said.
But if the team loses him to a physical setback, his absence could hurt a lot.
The post Analyst Notes Early Impact Of Kristaps Porzingis On The Celtics appeared first on The Cold Wire.