Why Former Wizard May Cause Team A Championship

Tyrone Montgomery | Jun 11, 2024

Jun 9, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (8) arrives before game two against the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports / David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

The moment we all have been waiting for is finally here. We have made it to the NBA Finals. We are already two games in and the Boston Celtics have been dominant thus far. As a matter of fact, it felt as if the Celtics would be sweeping the Dallas Mavericks as they have a two games to none lead on them. That feeling and moment seem to be gone within the blink of our eyes as the circumstances have now changed.

Kristaps Porzingis injury breakdown for @InjuryExpertz pic.twitter.com/ZYZKQ6fErq

— Jesse Morse, MD (@DrJesseMorse) June 11, 2024

Kristaps Porzingis has been a critical piece to the puzzle in Boston and a big reason why they are up two games to none in the series of the NBA Finals. With his latest injury, the chances seem more than likely that he won't be available the rest of the series. That changes everything for the Celtics. They may have been able to experience success by getting to the NBA Finals without him, however they may change without him.

Having him healthy and available was something beneficial for the Celtics. He gave them depth. Al Horford has been a solid Celtic his entire career. He always seems to come through in the clutch for them. That could mean hitting a big shot or giving the Celtics another opportunity as he crashes the boards, or even defensively as he gets a stop at the rim. Bringing back Kristaps Porzingis was easy for them as they brought him off the bench.

That move helped the Celtics to not disrupt the flow of their winning ways or their rotations. It made the chemistry flow like a stream of running water. Now that Porzingis may be sidelined, they will have to dig deeper into their bench. They won't be able to replace a guy like him off their bench. He really is one of a kind as he truly is an all-star since he is able to do a lot of things on both sides of the floor in both the interior and the perimeter.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown react to Kristaps Porzingis being considered day-to-day for Game 3, and what they will have to do to adjust if he can't play pic.twitter.com/JGMBm3ob8x

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) June 11, 2024

Not having him around also adds more pressure to Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Jrue Holiday. Porzingis's presence alone have paved the way to their success thus far within the NBA Finals. Tatum is the number one option for the Celtics. However, he hasn't looked like it as Holiday and Brown have stole the show. What will happen now when things go wrong and the Celtics put the ball in a player's hands who has not had a great series thus far?

Things could definitely go wrong in the coming games as the Mavericks were supposed to lose game one and two since the Celtics have home-court advantage. Now that the Mavericks are returning back home to Dallas to play in front of their home fans, momentum could quickly change and the Celtics could be overwhelmed with a psychological challenge that could force them into making critical mistakes. Time will tell as we get closer to tip-off as we see if Porzingis can play or not in game three. Things could change dramatically if he isn't available.