Joe Mazzulla Praises Kristaps Porzingis' Defense: 'He's Really Picked It Up'

Kristaps Porzingis became one of the NBA's premiere players in defensive field goal percentage last season in Washington. His rim protection and elite shot-blocking elevated him to one of the league's most notable defenders in the frontcourt.

Coming over to Boston, it was imaginable that he would develop more on that end, with that being the team's primary focus in training camp and their switching schemes. Joe Mazzulla had already praised Porzingis' defensive versatility early on.

The Celtics' head coach heaped even more on after the Celtics' 127-99 victory over the Charlotte Hornets Thursday night.

"I think he's a really good defender," Mazzulla said of Porzingis. "He's statistically one of the better defenders in the league in drop in the past couple years, and for centers, he's one of the best isolation defenders."

The former All-Star put up 14 points, 12 rebounds, a block, and a steal on 5-12 from the field. His isolation defense was stellar, along with his finishing in the paint.

"He studies tendencies; he knows how to take things away, so we need him to be dynamic defensively," Mazzulla said. "There's times where he has to guard the five; there's times where we're gonna switch; and there's times where we're gonna let him roam."

Playing alongside the likes of Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Al Horford, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown, Porzingis is already demonstrating he can build off his career-year on defense and become even more impactful at that end.

"So, continuing to get comfortable in our system and how we operate and take ownership of it and communicate, I think's important, and he's gotten, from day one to now, I think he's really picked it up defensively."

Porzingis, entering the prime of his career at 28, is in a position to improve his two-way versatility well beyond his last few seasons. If his play continues, that element could be special for the Celtics' championship ceiling.

Further Reading

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