Tag: Kristaps Porzingis

Joe Mazzulla’s best new weapon identified by Bleacher Report ahead of 2023-24 season

Which new member of the Boston Celtics will make the biggest impact next season?

With the 2023-24 NBA regular season rapidly approaching, rosters around the association are beginning to take form. Save a few pending trade requests or free agent signings, the landscape for next year is coming into focus. As such, Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley identified each club’s best new weapon for the 2023-24 season. His selection for the Boston Celtics comes as no surprise.

According to Buckley, no Celtics newcomer has the potential for a big impact next year than big man Kristaps Porzingis. Boston traded for the former All-Star back in June, giving head coach Joe Mazzulla a new weapon to ponder. Porzingis is an offensive unicorn with lots of defensive potential. Buckley believes the Celts are hoping for big things from Porzingis.

“They expect big things out of the big fella,” Buckley wrote. “And as long as he stays healthy, he has a real chance to meet or even exceed those expectations.”

Reacting to three Boston Celtics hot takes about new players

Can Banton, Walsh, and Porzingis can actually achieve such lofty expectations with Boston in their first season playing for the Celtics?

Reacting to bold Boston Celtics predictions for the 2023-24 NBA season involving signings and trades from the 2023 NBA offseason, the hosts of the CLNS Media “How Bout Them Celtics!” podcast took the temperature of a trio of Boston hot takes.

The duo react to takes on how much playing time reserve floor general Dalano Banton will get in his first season wearing green and white, whether oft-injured Latvian big man Kristaps Porzingis can earn himself an All-Star nod playing for the Celtics this season, and if Boston’s No. 38 pick of the 2023 NBA draft Jordan Walsh can get himself onto the league’s All-Rookie team for the 2023-23 season.

To hear what they had to say about Banton, Walsh and Porzingis and the lofty expectations in their first season playing for the Celtics, watch the video below.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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How should we assess the Boston Celtics’ 2023 NBA offseason?

Whether it was a good one or a bad one is evidently in the eye of the beholder.

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The Boston Celtics had one of the more active offseasons in the NBA this summer. Whether it was a good one or a bad one is evidently in the eye of the beholder. The move to swap out veteran point guard Marcus Smart for former Washington Wizards big man Kristaps Porzingis has been a polarizing one, as has letting reserve forward Grant Williams walk in free agency.

But there is also a case to be made that this was exactly what the Celtics needed to push the club over the top after a spate of seasons ending short of the goal of winning a league-record 18th banner.

As to the eye of the beholder stuff, the folks behind the “Through The Wire” podcast got together to assess the offseasons of every team in the Eastern Conference on a recent episode.

Check out the clip embedded above to hear what they thought of the Celtics’ offseason — and strick around to hear how their peers did.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Are the Boston Celtics going to need to put Kristaps Porzingis in bubble wrap?

Sidelined for at least four to six weeks, Celtics fans are understandably worried about how the Porzingis experiment is going to go for the team.

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The Boston Celtics and star big man Kristaps Porzingis have tied their fates together. The latter’s sketchy injury history is already sending shivers down the spine of Celtics fans. Boston traded for and extended the Latvian center near the start of the NBA’s 2023 offseason, only to see Porzingis miss the 2023 FIBA World Cup with plantar fasciitis.

Sidelined for at least four to six weeks, Celtics fans are understandably worried about how the Porzingis experiment is going to go for the team this season — and for the rest of his contract extension, for that matter.

The host of the CLNS Media “Winning Plays” podcast, Brian Robb, linked up with 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Tim McKone to talk over the bumpy start of the Porzingis era and what could be coming for Boston with an injury-prone star on the team.

Check out the clip embedded above to hear their talk in full.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Was the Boston Celtics’ trade for Kristaps Porzingis too risky?

For one NBA analyst, this is the team’s toughest question to answer this season.

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Every team in the NBA has something it needs to work on, and the Boston Celtics are no exception Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz came up with one tough question for every club, and for the Celtics, it’s the fact that trading for star big man Kristaps Porzingis raises concerns about his injury history and potential impact on the team.

“Losing one of the prominent locker room voices and premier defenders in (Marcus) Smart hurts enough, but this is more of a gamble on Porzingis’ ability to stay healthy (…),” opines the B/R analyst. “His skills at a 7’3″ floor-spacer, rim protector, and back-to-the-basket threat are great in theory, but don’t do much good if Porzingis once again struggles to stay on the floor.”

“If the Celtics get the version of Porzingis we saw last season in Washington, great. If not, this will have been a massive miss for the front office.”

With the Latvian big man already planning to sit out the 2023 FIBA World Cup due to plantar fasciitis, it’s understandable to be concerned about such a scenario playing out.

With risk can come reward — but not without the most important of all NBA abilities, the pesky need for player availability.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Seven Boston Celtics make The Athletic’s 2023-24 top 125 NBA players list

The question on most of our minds is where they are ranked in this assessment in the system of tiers devised by the publication this season.

The Athletic’s annual top 125 NBA players ranking exercise has officially arrived at the midpoint of the so-called doldrums of August, and with them, we can get an idea of how their analysts see the players on the Boston Celtics’ roster for their 2023-24 campaign in contrast to their peers around the league.

Among the elite of the league in The Athletic senior analyst Seth Partnow’s estimation are All-NBA forwards Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, Boston big men Robert Williams III, Kristaps Porzingis, and Al Horford, and veteran guards Malcolm Brogdon and Derrick White. The question on most of our minds is where they are ranked in this assessment in the system of tiers devised by the publication this season.

Let’s dive in and find out.

Boston’s Smart-Porzingis deal ranks among riskiest offseason moves of 2023

While many fans of the Boston Celtics are cautiously optimistic about the trade that brought star big man Kristaps Porzingis to the team, others are not so sure.

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While many fans of the Boston Celtics are cautiously optimistic about the trade that brought star big man Kristaps Porzingis to the team, others are not so sure. The move cost the team veteran point guard Marcus Smart. Among them is Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz, who sees the deal as among the most likely to be seen negatively in three years.

While on the surface it seems like a good value trade, losing Smart’s leadership, playmaking and defensive prowess could impact the Celtics on and off the court. according to the B/R analyst.

“Once referred to as “the heart and soul of this team” by Jaylen Brown, Smart was Boston’s best passer and only one season removed from winning Defensive Player of the Year,” recalls Swartz.

“He gets the Celtics into their offensive sets, calls teammates out if necessary, and can start fires when they clearly need a spark.”

“With Porzingis averaging only 54 games per season over the past four years since returning from a torn ACL, durability will continue to be a major concern,” he suggests.

“This trade may look fine now, but it has the potential to turn disastrous in a few years.”

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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What does the Kristaps Porzingis foot injury mean for the Boston Celtics’ 2023-24 season?

Expecting a full healthy NBA season from Porzingis is unrealistic.

The Boston Celtics face injury news as star big man Kristaps Porzingis has been diagnosed with plantar fasciitis in his right foot, impacting his availability for the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

Expecting a full healthy NBA season from Porzingis is unrealistic given his injury history, so the team is likely hoping he plays around 60 games while managing his health for the playoffs. The trade swapping Marcus Smart for Porzingis raised concerns about acquiring an injury-prone player, but it’s a calculated risk in pursuit of a title after a season that convinced the ball club’s front office that a significant change was needed.

To hear more about the finer-grained details Porzingis’ foot issues put the Celtics in, check out the clip embedded below to hear what the folks behind the CLNS Media “How Bout Them Celtics!” podcast.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Celtics earn surprising offseason grade from For The Win’s Bryan Kalbrosky

For the Win’s Bryan Kalbrosky gave the Boston Celtics a B+ grade for their 2023 offseason efforts. Is this the right mark?

It’s been a busy summer for the Boston Celtics. The team extended All-NBA forward Jaylen Brown on a five-year, $304 supermax deal, locking in the duo of Brown and Jayson Tatum for the foreseeable future. But the club also swapped defensive stalwart Marcus Smart for former All-Star Kristaps Porzingis, ending an era for Boston.

According to For the Win’s Bryan Kalbrosky, there’s plenty to like about how Boston shuffled the deck. As part of his annual NBA Free Agency grades column, Kalbrosky granted the Celtics a B+ for their efforts this offseason, tied for the highest mark for any team in the Eastern Conference.

Landing a B+ is a solid grade for Boston’s front office, but it does imply there was room for improvement. Still, Kalbrosky believes the Celtics “project as a potential No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.”

Let’s dig deeper and evaluate the offseason that was for the Celtics.

Celtics provide new timeline for Kristaps Porzingis foot injury

The Boston Celtics provided an update on Kristaps Porzingis, who is managing an injury in his right foot.

Boston Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis has decided to forgo playing in the 2023 FIBA World Cup for his native Latvia following a case of plantar fasciitis in his right foot. Porzingis, who has suffered several major injuries since joining the NBA as the No. 4 pick of the 2015 draft, hoped to represent his country at the tournament.

Instead, he will spend the next few weeks rehabilitating his injured foot. Porzingis shared his disappointment on Twitter shortly after the news was announced. The Celtics issued a statement Wednesday regarding the injury, echoing previous reports suggesting it was minor in scope.

“Celtics forward/center Kristaps Porzingis has been diagnosed with plantar fasciitis in his right foot. He will engage in a four-to-six-week rehab program, and is expected to be cleared for the start of training camp.” read the release.