The Boston Celtics are set to welcome former All-Star big man Kristaps Porzingis to the Hub following a blockbuster offseason trade between the Celtics, the Memphis Grizzlies, and the Washington Wizards. This comes following a disappointing 2023-24 campaign that failed to produce a repeat trip to the Finals. By trading for Porzingis, Celtics president Brad Stevens shuffled the deck and changed the tenor and geography of Boston’s roster in a major way.
The move wasn’t without controversy. Landing Porzingis meant saying goodbye to Marcus Smart, the longest-tenured member of the team, its defensive anchor, and a key leader on and off the court. It’s a trade that marks a major inflection point for the Celtics, and it will take time to fully appreciate the totality of the trade.
“I said this at the start of the summer,” Stevens said in a recent press conference. “I thought that we needed to balance our roster and make sure that we looked at the best ways to do that. And that meant that we were going to likely lose a really, really, really good player.”
The sting of losing Smart may linger for a while, but adding a player of Porzingis’ caliber is a special opportunity. So who exactly is Kristaps Porzingis? What has he done in his time in the NBA prior to coming to Boston, and why is he sometimes called a “unicorn”? And perhaps most importantly, what does he add to the Boston Celtics?
Celtics president Brad Stevens explained why he believes Kristaps Porzingis will fit in perfectly with the Boston Celtics. https://t.co/zEYi9jzJXa
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) June 23, 2023
Porzingis' early years
Originally from Liepāja, Latvia, Porzingis was born into a serious basketball family, with two parents and an older brother who shared their love of the game with a young Kristaps. He later followed his brother’s lead, eventually playing for Balencesto Sevilla as a teenager.
Porzingis was an early stand out, though injury and health concerns created frequent setbacks. He hung tough, however, eventually earning the 2015 Eurocup Rising Star trophy and gaining big international acclaim in the process. Heading into the 2015 NBA draft, Porzingis’ combination of size and a soft touch in particular saw the big man rising up big boards across the association.
It was that unique combination of length and finesse that led New York to select Porzingis with the No. 4 pick, and that same marriage of length and finesse that led Kevin Durant to dub Porzingis a “unicorn.”
These are the 10 Celtics who played the most seasons with Boston. https://t.co/6Xh3hOr8Am
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) June 23, 2023
Porzingis impressed early in New York, establishing himself as a dynamic scorer and imposing defender. He was named to the 2018 All-Star team and appeared to be one of the league’s top young stars.
A few weeks later, however, Porzingis tore his ACL in a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. This kept the big man from playing for months and complicated negotiations for a contract extension with the Knicks. After talks broke down, New York eventually traded Porzingis to Dallas.
Although he was sidelined for the entire 2018-19 season, Porzingis inked a 5-year, $158 million contract with the Mavericks. (Porzingis just opted into the final season of that deal in order to complete his trade to the Celtics.) Further injury setbacks made for a tumultuous stint in Dallas and Porzingis was ultimately shipped to Washington before the 2022 trade deadline.
Porzingis’ 2022-23 campaign with the Wizards is most relevant to the Celtics. It was a year without major health concerns or front office drama for the so-called unicorn, and he flourished. Last season, Porzingis averaged a career-best 23.2 points per game on 49.8% shooting from the field to go with 8.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists a night. He also returned to form as an elite defender.
Celtics Lab 203: On the lack of love and trust in Boston after Marcus Smart's trade with Jack Simone https://t.co/lr6QR8rck4 via @thecelticswire pic.twitter.com/iZWfF0u1ch
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) June 22, 2023
Injury concerns may follow Porzingis for his entire career, even when he is playing at his best. But as Porzingis told NBA dot com this January, these experiences have helped him mature and grow as a person.
“When you get hurt, especially a long-term injury like an ACL, you fully realize that basketball is your identity. Until you get hurt, you don’t realize what it’s like being taken away from you. You think, ‘Who am I?’ It’s a weird feeling. I had to figure it out. I knew these injuries wouldn’t last forever. I figured out a lot of things I like outside of basketball. It makes you humble. It makes you appreciate all of the different things that put things in perspective. Basketball is not everything. It can end just like that. Then you have to figure out who you are. I don’t wish that on anybody. It’s tough to go through. You learn a lot about yourself. I wouldn’t change that for anything.”
Porzingis comes with other caveats, too. Reported unpleasantries with former teammates can’t be ignored. A 2019 rape allegation is also difficult to forget, although Porzingis was never charged and the NBA supported Porzingis in asserting his innocence in the matter. Still, the aura around Porzingis has been tumultuous at times.
As such, Porzingis arrives in Boston with tremendous potential and a checkered past. On the court, it appears to be an excellent fit. As Stevens said, “Kristaps can play with any combination of our players.” on both ends of the ball.
Porzingis on offense
Porzingis will offer head coach Joe Mazzulla’s offense two crucial components. First, he represents a new and imposing force down low, something the Celtics have been without for years.
Standing 7-foot-3 with a 7-foot-6 wingspan, Porzingis is one of the tallest players in the entire NBA, with tidy footwork and a soft touch. As such, he’s a true offensive weapon around the basket. Last year, Porzingis shot 74% at the rim, and about a third of his shots in ’22-23 came within 10″ of the basket.
Outside an occasional look from Al Horford or a small diet of Robert Williams III rim runs, Boston’s frontcourt didn’t have much pop attacking the rim last season. Likewise, it was hard for the Celts to initiate any offensive sets from within the 3-point line, an especially problematic set back against the Miami Heat’s zone defense in the Eastern Conference finals. Porzingis could change this calculus considerably for the Celtics.
What are NBA analysts saying about the deal from their points of view? Let’s take a look at the gamut. https://t.co/J5GQJYBQXX
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) June 23, 2023
It’s not just around the rim where Porzingis’ size and length are a big scoring advantage. As the second tallest player in the NBA in 2023, he’s nearly impossible to guard shooting the ball. Even a modest-sized guard would need a tennis racket to really upset Porzingis when he rises up for a shot.
With the Wizards granting Porzingis a particularly green light shooting the ball, he had one of his most effective campaigns as a pro from distance. Porzingis connected on 38.5% of his 3s on 5.5 attempts per game.
The ideal version of Porzingis is an excellent pairing with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. He can draw defenders closer to the rim, but just as easily spread the floor. How Porzingis, Tatum, and Brown share the scoring load will be interesting, but the possibility remains: Boston’s offense next season could be positively nuclear.
Porzingis on defense
While the offensive fit for Porzingis and Mazzulla’s high-octane offense could take a bit of time to gel, Porzingis is likely to make an immediate impact on the defensive end.
In open space, his speed and length make him an effective drop defender. He’s one of the best in the NBA in stopping the pick and roll. His speed and length allow him maintain pressure on rim runners with enough time to effectively guard the cup. In a more traditional post set, Porzingis’ height is just as imposing. Porzingis can also close out on the perimeter with shocking speed.
Losing a former Defensive Player of the Year in Marcus Smart is a huge blow to the Celtics, but Porzingis can help the team reestablish its mojo on defense.
“In all likelihood, the team’s nine future first-round picks will not go unused this season,” writes MassLive. https://t.co/prEet7GFDn
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) June 22, 2023
No two players benefit more from Porzingis’ arrival than Robert Williams III and Al Horford. After hobbling together a big man rotation for years, the Celtics now have one of the most impressive frontcourts in the NBA.
Al Horford didn’t play in back-to-back sets during the regular season and just turned 37. Anything Boston can do to limit his load until the playoffs is valuable. Bringing in a player like Porzingis, who has many of the same strengths as Horford, is a great way to provide stability given this arrangement.
Porzingis will also help Robert Williams. Williams is at his best when he has the freedom to roam on defense, flying in for a block or double team. When paired, Porzingis and Williams can take turns clogging the lane while also splashing out on the perimeter.
A healthy Porzingis is a monster on defense on his own. Joining a frontcourt that already features Al Horford and Robert Williams could be positively frightening.
The trade also impacts the Celtics’ future decisions regarding player contracts. https://t.co/qAf0YTeqFo
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) June 23, 2023
Final thoughts
The unicorn nickname may be overplayed, but it’s still an apt moniker. Porzingis really can be that special of a player on both ends of the ball. There’s a world where Porzingis fits like a glove with this Celtics club.
At the time of this writing, we also don’t know what the final roster will look like in Boston. With Smart headed to the Grizzlies, it’s unclear who will be the team’s starting point guard. The Celtics would like to add some depth on the wing, too. It could be a very busy summer in the Hub.
Brad Stevens and Co. took a big swing in trading for Porzingis. The risks are high, but the rewards could prove even higher. Lucky the Leprechaun, meet Kristaps Porzingis the unicorn.
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