Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Kristaps Porzingis Says Joining Celtics Was an 'Easy Decision'
In trading for Kristaps Porzingis, the Celtics are making a three-pronged gamble.
At the center of that wager is the decision to part with Marcus Smart, who's been the heart and soul of the team, for an upgrade in talent.
Boston's seven-foot-three acquisition is coming off a campaign where he averaged a career-high 23.2 points, grabbed 8.4 rebounds, and dished out 2.7 assists in 32.6 minutes per game.
He also nearly made it into the elusive 50/40/90 club. The former fourth-overall pick shot 49.8 percent from the field, 38.5 percent from beyond the arc on 5.5 three-point attempts, and capitalized on 85.1 percent of his 6.4 free throws.
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Porzingis gives Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown a reliable catch-and-shoot option. Outside of his rookie campaign and struggles in his 34 games with the Mavericks in 2021-22, he's drilled at least 36 percent of such opportunities throughout his career, per NBA.com.
The former All-Star's also effective in the low post, making the Celtics' offense more dynamic and better equipped to handle dry spells. Plus, he's a skilled passer with impressive touch. That allows him to act as an offensive hub, creating opportunities for, in particular, his new All-NBA teammates when they're off the ball.
Getting to play with Tatum and Brown on a team that came within one win of back-to-back trips to the NBA Finals is why Porzingis shared at the start of Thursday's introductory press conference he was "very excited when I first heard the news, and it was a pretty easy decision for me."
He also expressed, "The opportunity to play for a really good team already and to be able to add to that. And hopefully, to help these guys, make their life easier, and being on a high-level organization like Boston, a historic franchise, iconic franchise, made it extremely easy for me to make that decision."
Plus, Porzingis is a disruptive defender who will protect the cylinder and operates well out of drop coverage.
To that point, he told Inside The Celtics of pairing with Robert Williams and Al Horford, respectively, "Those guys are really high-level defensive players, and both are really good protecting the rim. I'm gonna be out there also protecting the rim. And those guards that are on the team, I think they're all dogs. And they're gonna make life even easier for us defensively as bigs. They're gonna put even more pressure on the ball when guards are driving by and stuff like that. And this is a special team that I'm gonna be able to join."
When asked about the motivation of knowing his new team traded for him because they view Porzingis as the piece that can put them over the top in their pursuit of Banner 18, Porzingis conveyed the following to Inside The Celtics.
"The most like, exciting feeling that you can get; just the idea of that. That's why, as I said, it made it super easy, and it made (it) my complete favorite option was to come here to Boston. And that fire that I got from that idea is gonna gas me up for the rest of the summer and for my time being here."
Porzingis, who started his NBA career in New York, also shared that "getting traded to Boston; it made me realize how much I missed playing on a big stage," adding, "This is a different level of excitement."
Further Reading
Kristaps Porzingis Says Celtics Are Getting a Player Whose Best is Yet to Come
Grant Williams Discusses Marcus Smart's Departure, Free Agency, and Recovery from Hand Surgery
The Latest Intel on Celtics' Restricted Free Agent Grant Williams
Jordan Walsh Discusses Getting Drafted by Celtics, His Welcome to Boston
Brad Stevens Shares What Compelled Celtics to Trade for Kristaps Porzingis
Brad Stevens Discusses Difficult Decision to Trade Marcus Smart: 'He'll Always Have Boston'
After Trading Marcus Smart, Acquiring Kristaps Porzingis, Where Do Celtics Go from Here?
Marcus Smart Felt "Shock" and "Hurt" Over Trade from Boston Celtics
