Tag: Kristaps Porzingis

Will a new double big lineup unlock Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown?

Returning to a two big man lineup, notably with the entry of Kristaps Porzingis, can benefit the Jays, per a prominent Celtics beat writer.

Could the Boston Celtics’ acquisition of Kristaps Porzingis via the Marcus Smart trade bring the Celtics back to making regular use of a double-big lineup the team deployed under former head coach Ime Udoka?

If they did, would it benefit their two star forwards, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown?

In the most recent episode of the CLNS Media “Celtics Beat” podcast, Steve Bulpett from Heavy Sports explores the possibility of the Celtics making the decision to revert to a double-big lineup again with hosts Adam Kaufman and Evan Valenti hearing out his case.

Bulpett articulates how returning to a two big lineup, notably with the entry of Kristaps Porzingis, can benefit Tatum and Brown on both ends of the court.

To hear more about why this might be the case for Boston next season, check out the clip embedded above.

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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Could the Boston Celtics regret the Marcus Smart-Kristaps Porzingis trade?

At the time the deal was made, the trade was seen as a good value on paper.

Could the Boston Celtics regret the Marcus Smart–Kristaps Porzingis trade?

At the time, the trade was a good value on paper. But losing Smart’s leadership and impact on and off the court could be a significant loss for the Celtics, perhaps compounded by the loss of reserve forward Grant Williams in free agency.

The financial aspect of the trade is also a concern. Boston elected to extend the injury-prone big man for another two seasons. Now, it seems the Celtics’ success will depend on Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown’s growth as leaders, and their ability to carry the team.

The hosts of the “How Bout Them Celtics!” podcast sat down to talk through their feelings about the trade now that there has been some time to reflect.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what they had to say.

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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Boston officially announces Kristaps Porzingis contract extension

Fresh on the heels of announcing the Grant Williams trade, the Celtics made the Kristaps Porzingis contract extension official

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Fresh on the heels of announcing the Grant Williams trade, the Boston Celtics made the Kristaps Porzingis contract extension official as well via press release. Per the Celtics, the terms of the deal were not made public as is their custom, but multiple reports have the Latvian big man signing for an additional two seasons for $60 million total.

Boston shared that in his last season with the Washington Wizards, Porzingis put up career-highs in points (23.2), assists (2.7), and steals (0.9) per game while being one of just three players to average at least 20.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks during the 2022-23 season along with Anthony Davis, and Joel Embiid.

The Latvian big man led the Wiz with 20 double-doubles in 2022-23 as he shot a career-high 49.8% overall, and has averaged at least 45% from the floor overall for three straight seasons.

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 To Watch: Two Badgers in Summer League

The 2023 NBA Summer League is underway and two former Badger men’s basketball players are suiting up for their respective teams.

The 2023 NBA Summer League is underway and two former Badger men’s basketball players are suiting up for their respective teams. Hosted in Las Vegas, both second-year guard Johnny Davis (Wizards) and third-year forward Micah Potter (Jazz) are in action.

Davis was selected 10th overall by Washington in the 2022 NBA Draft and he is set for an expanded role in the team’s offense in year two after the departures of Bradley Beal (PHX) and Kristaps Porzingis (BOS).

Potter went undrafted in 2021 and he’ll be entering his second year with Utah’s organization, looking to carve out a larger role for himself in 2023.

 

Like Marcus Smart, Danilo Gallinari also thought he was coming back to the Celtics

The Flower Mound native reportedly wasn’t the only one shocked by the Kristaps Porzingis deal.

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Not every dream comes true in real life, but it has to sting all the more given how close former Boston Celtics forward Danilo Gallinari got to playing for his childhood favorite team. “You have the chance to sign for a team like the Celtics that are fighting for a championship, and it’s the first or second time in my career where I have the chance to be on a team that is fighting for a championship,” said the Italian swingman via MassLive’s Garret Cole. “But then the injury came. It was tough.”

“In terms of injuries, timing in my life has always been terrible,” Gallo related. “They always came at the wrong time. Definitely, this time came at the wrong time.”

Gallinari managed to stick with the Celtics during a long and difficult rehabilitation from a torn ACL and thought he would make it onto Boston’s active roster for the 2023-24 season after his exit interview for the team’s 2022-23 campaign.

“I had a meeting with the team probably three, four days before the trade, and the meeting was a little different – the reason why I didn’t expect the trade,” he explained.

“I’ve been through it before many times, it’s just the craziness about the NBA sometimes. It was pretty quick and unexpected.”

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 will Kristaps Porzingis fit into the Boston Celtics’ style of play?

Porzingis’ shooting makes Boston harder to guard, despite concerns about the Latvian center’s injury history.

The Boston Celtics traded veteran point guard Marcus Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies for Washington Wizards star big man Kristaps Porzingis, and the deal creates a new style of play the franchise will have to work out during the 2023-24 campaign.

Smart’s leadership and willingness to hold teammates accountable will be missed, but Porzingis’ shooting makes Boston harder to guard, despite concerns about the Latvian center’s injury history and availability.

What will Boston’s new identity be with the addition of the sharpshooting big man? To get a better idea of what that might look like, the hosts of the CLNS Media “Celtics Beat” podcast linked up with Turner Network Television sideline reporter David Aldridge.

To hear what the trio had to say about the Unicorn’s fit with the Celtics, take a look at the clip embedded above from the All Access on CLNS official YouTube channel.

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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Kristaps Porzingis on why he pushed to join the Boston Celtics

The Celtics were always his preferred destination, it seems.

Kristaps Porzingis sat down to discuss his trade to the Boston Celtics and his excitement about joining the team with team reporter Marc D’Amico for a video released on the team’s official YouTube account. The Latvian big man said he chose Boston because of it being an iconic and historic organization, as well as the opportunity to win.

Playing with star Celtics forwards Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in their prime also aligns perfectly with his career being in a similar stage as theirs. Porzingis had a career year with the Washington Wizards last season and brings more talent to the team’s frontcourt rotation.

Porzingis believes the Celtics have been close to winning a title in recent seasons and sees a great deal of potential.

To hear more about his motive for joining Boston and his expectations for the season to come in the video embedded above.

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 do former NBA players see the Marcus Smart-Kristaps Porzingis trade?

The trio also get into the Spurs and their generational talent of Victor Wembanyama and more.

Fans of the Boston Celtics have, for the most part, come to terms with the trade sending veteran point guard Marcus Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies in the three-team deal that brought star Washington Wizards big man Kristaps Porzingis. The debate whether the Celtics actually improved from the trade is still a very open question.

The hosts of the semi-eponymous CLNS Media “Cedric Maxwell” podcast sat down with San Antonio Spurs icon Sean Elliott and talked over how the Smart swap is viewed by former pros like Eliott and Maxwell. Pod cohost Josue Pavon weighed in on the trade as well.

The trio also get into the Spurs and their generational talent of Victor Wembanyama and more in the clip embedded below, so be sure to tune in to get their points of view on one of the bigger trades in recent Boston sports history.

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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Kristaps Porzingis met up with displaced Ukrainian youth basketball players at Auerbach Center

The meeting was part of a week carved out by Sparks and his team to “take the pressure off the Ukrainian players and allow them to be kids and genuinely enjoy themselves” after long absences from home.

Ukrainian girls’ basketball team Club MOBI has been displaced from their native country, having spent the entirety of the war in that country in nearby Latvia training. Now in Massachusetts to play a number of teams in the US, the team had a chance to meet new Boston Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis, who happens to hail from their adopted home of Latvia.

“It was great to meet these young (Ukrainian) players,” said Porzingis via Boston.com’s Trevor Hass after he had a chance to get to know them at the Auerbach Center after his introductory press conference earlier this week.

“What an incredible timing of events, the fact that they were displaced there for the past year, then to be able to see someone from there,” shared Celtics Senior Director of Youth Development Chris Sparks.

“They were just blown away with how it worked out,” they continued. “He was super great with them.”

The meeting was part of a week carved out by Sparks and his team to “take the pressure off the Ukrainian players and allow them to be kids and genuinely enjoy themselves” after long absences from home.

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 Kristaps Porzingis contract extension a wise move for the Boston Celtics?

There are some legitimate concerns about his injury history and fit with the ball club.

The Boston Celtics and star big man Kristaps Porzingis have agreed to a two-year contract extension reportedly worth about $60 million. The Celtics see Porzingis as a valuable part of their frontcourt rotation and wanted to secure his availability for the future after dealing away veteran point guard Marcus Smart to land him. In the previous season, the Latvian center had a career year, with averages of 23.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in 65 games.

There are some legitimate concerns about his injury history and fit with the ball club given their prior style of play, but overall, it has been seen as a positive move for the Celtics by most Join the hosts of the CLNS Media “Garden Report” podcast as they dive into the details of Porzingis’ new contract extension. The contract cements Porzingis’ position with Boston through to 2026, starting next season.

Was it a good move? Check out the clip embedded below to see if you agree with their takes.

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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