Kristaps Porzingis, the newly acquired Boston Celtics big man, talked to the media for the first time since being moved away from the Washington Wizards last week. Porzingis delivered a straightforward message to reporters inside the Auerbach Center, emphasizing his eagerness to help the organization win its 18th NBA Championship.
“Very excited when I first heard the news, and it was a pretty easy decision for me,” Porzingis told NBC Sports Boston.”The opportunity to play for a really good team already and to be able to add to that and hopefully help these guys, make their lives a little easier, and just being on a high level organization like Boston, a historic franchise like Boston, an iconic franchise, made me feel really good.”
Kristaps Porziņģis: "Very excited when I first heard the news & it was a pretty easy decision for me" pic.twitter.com/dkI5spBgLu
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) June 29, 2023
Porzingis did not have to be traded to leave Washington this summer. He could have turned down his $36 million player option and become an unrestricted free agent. Instead, he chose to opt in, knowing that he’d be traded to Boston. Nothing is official yet, but the Celtics’ new No. 8 is expected to agree to a two-year contract extension.
The addition of Kristaps Porzingis is a huge win for the Boston Celtics.
There’s no getting around the fact that the Cs had to give up Marcus Smart in order for this to happen.
Despite the sadness of losing the nine-year Celtic veteran, Porzingis should be regarded as a welcome addition by the fans. Porzingis, who will be 28 by the start of the 2023-24 season, is 27 years old and coming off possibly his best season of his career.
Last season, he appeared in 65 games for the Wizards, his most since 2017. In seven games, he averaged a career-high 23.2 points per game, as well as 8.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.5 blocks.
The efficiency figures were also present. Porzingis made 49.8% of his tries from the floor and 38.5% of his attempts from beyond the arc.
Furthermore, he was one of the league’s top pick-and-roll defenders last season, which was a key area for Boston in the postseason. Trae Young and James Harden, who acted as ball handlers in that sequence, ripped them to shreds.
Having the Latvian under contract for future seasons will also help when 37-year-old Al Horford passes away.
The two have similar skill sets, and Horford has proven to be an excellent fit in Boston’s lineup.
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