Boston Celtics power forward Kristaps Porzingis is making a lasting impression on his new team since the start of the preseason. The Latvian player has stood out with brilliant performances, and his integration into the team seems to be happening naturally and fluidly. Through three preseason games, Porzingis has proven his worth by averaging 16.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and a block per game, while shooting an astonishing 61.5 percent from the perimeter.
The final preseason game against the New York Knicks on Tuesday night only cemented the admiration for Porzingis. With the holders of the Boston Celtics Playing “regular minutes,” according to coach Joe Mazzulla, Porzingis scored 20 points, grabbed eight rebounds, blocked two shots and made a steal against his former team. In addition, he maintained his high efficiency, with 61.5% in field goals and 50% in triples.
Mazzulla highlighted Porzingis’ ability to create opportunities on offense: “It seems like the ball gets to KP a lot because of his skills. He creates two-on-ones and closeouts, so putting him in those positions for those lateral pick-and-rolls is the trigger for our offense right now.”
The coach also noted that the communication between the starters, made up of Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Porzingis, was especially prominent during timeouts. This effective communication is a promising sign for the team’s future.
Porzingis shared his excitement about the team’s developing chemistry: “I think the way we’re slowly adding chemistry, step by step, looking for each other, trying to make the game easier for each other, and I think today we showed flashes of that type of game.”
Building chemistry within the team is a process that will take time, as Holiday, a newcomer to the team, needs to get used to his teammates. However, as this group continues to play together, he is expected to improve their understanding of each other and their synchronization on the court.
When asked about the challenges facing the team, Porzingis said: “I think we’re too eager to get on offense. We have to get the rebound, and then we can go.”
The Latvian player also emphasized that the issue of rebounding is primarily a matter of chemistry and that over time, this aspect will be resolved naturally as the team adjusts.
Porzingis has felt comfortable in his role since his arrival in Boston and did not hesitate to praise his teammates: “These guys are easy to play with. I keep saying it, but they attract so much attention that I get open three-pointers, looks open, and they find me. And I make open shots. That’s all, it’s very simple. It was a good game to continue creating that chemistry.”
Even with the attention focused on Porzingis, his teammates Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown managed to combine their efforts to score 45 points.
BOSTON CELTICS
The Celtics will close their preseason on Thursday against the Charlotte Hornets before kicking off the regular season on October 25 against the New York Knicks. The excitement and promise of this new lineup continues to grow, and fans have reason to be excited about the future of the Boston Celtics.
2023-10-18 05:39:58
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