SUMMARY
- Kristaps Porzingis carried the Celtics to a Game 1 victory versus the Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals.
- Bringing Porzingis off the bench might be a good move for the Celtics.
Kristaps Porzingis has a major injury history that was a concern for the Boston Celtics when they initially signed him. Things got a little more worrisome after the 28-year-old Latvian basketball star experienced plantar fasciitis ahead of the 2023 FIBA World. People genuinely began questioning whether it was worth signing the 2018 All-Star.
WHAT A RETURN FOR KRISTAPS PORZINGIS 🔥
18 PTS
7-9 FGM
2 3PM
2 BLKHe’s the 9th player since 1976-77 to put up 18+ points in the first half of their NBA Finals debut 👏 pic.twitter.com/tbOjKIo2c6
— NBA (@NBA) June 7, 2024
However, Porzingis had a strong showing during the 2023-24 regular season averaging 20.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1.9 blocks in 57 games. Though he wasn’t entirely healthy, he was an extremely dominant third option. The Celtics secured the top spot in the entire league and got through to the finals. But Porzingis faced a calf strain in the first round.
Kristaps Porzingis’ form can substitute any other Celtics star’s off-night
Rightfully so, fans began worrying about the Celtics’ chances of getting through the Eastern Conference bracket without Kristaps Porzingis. One of the biggest reasons the Celtics acquired Porzingis was to eliminate threats like Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid. Somehow, Boston got through to the NBA Finals without him playing in the second round of ECF.
Porzingis returned to the lineup in Game 1 of the Celtics vs Mavericks series. There was a sense of doubt around his form upon returning, but the European stood out and carried them to a Game 1 victory. He was fairly dominant in all aspects of the game finishing with 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 blocks shooting 50% from the deep, and 8-13 from the field.
This shows that the Celtics won’t have to scramble for life if Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum fails to show up. In the playoffs, teams need to carry a “next man up” mentality. And this also means that the Celtics are going to be dangerous moving ahead. Even though Brown and Tatum had average performances in Game 1, they will most likely bounce back and deliver better numbers in Game 2.
Kristaps Porzingis brings a lot of weight to the Celtics’ bench lineup
If there was one thing we noticed, Joe Mazzulla brought Kristaps Porzingis off the bench which was the right thing to do considering he hadn’t played in 38 days. Al Horford stepped in his place and had a fairly good run averaging 9.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2 assists, and a block. Bringing Porzingis off the bench provides the Celtics’ second unit with more offensive firepower.
Kristaps Porzingis on his return:
“Getting that kind of support was unreal…the adrenaline was pumping through my veins.” ✊
(via @NBA)
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) June 7, 2024
Based on his defensive performance in Game 1, Porzingis will undoubtedly be forced to pair against the Mavericks Dereck Lively II or Maxi Kleber. This could work in favor of Porzingis to keep himself away from overly physical players like PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford. It would put him at lesser risk of getting injured once again. The Celtics should consider bringing him off the bench for the rest of the series.