Inside The Celtics

Patrick Beverley Disrespects Celtics Star Kristaps Porzingis in Player Rankings

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When you think of the current version of the Boston Celtics, the word strong depth comes to mind. Boston has done a great job of building their roster out well and it has helped them find all sorts of success on the court.

Behind stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, the Celtics have a strong cast that allows them to be dominant. One player that helps is center Kristaps Porzingis who oftentimes can get overlooked around the league.

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Porzingis is a former All-Star and a great third option for the Celtics to have. But former NBA guard Patrick Beverley completely disrespected Porzingis in his ranking of best third options around the league.

Beverley had Porzingis land in the No. 5 spot, behind some questionable other players. Here is the entire breakdown of the ranking from the guard.

1. Austin Reaves
2. Kyle Kuzma
3. Norman Powell
4. Mikal Bridges
5. Kristaps Porzingis

While Austin Reaves of the Los Angeles Lakers is a fair argument, the others are a little odd. You could probably argue for Bridges of the Brooklyn Nets as well.

But Porzingis deserves his respect here also. The Celtics star has averaged 19.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.6 blocks per game this season.

While he does have a strong injury history, when healthy, Porzingis completely changes the game for the Celtics. The center is the perfect fit around the two star forwards and has helped elevate Boston to a new level since his arrival.

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Porzingis not only helps this team on the offensive end of the floor but on defense as well. His length and pure size makes life very tough on defenders, giving the Celtics a legitimate rim protector on the floor.

People can continue to overlook Porzingis but he continues to prove them wrong. Boston will be looking to repeat as NBA champions this year, with the star directly at the center of their potential success.

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For more news and notes on the Boston Celtics, visit Boston Celtics on SI.


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Matt Levine
MATT LEVINE

Matt earned a Master of Science degree in Sport Management from Louisiana State University in 2021. He was born and raised in the Los Angeles area, covering all Southern California sports in his career.

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