Inside The Celtics

Joe Mazzulla Shares What's 'Far Exceeded My Expectations' of Kristaps Porzingis

Kristaps Porzingis registered 21 points, seven rebounds, and three assists in the Celtics' 117-94 win over the Raptors Saturday night at TD Garden.

Bobby Krivitsky

Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
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Kristaps Porzingis took on a starring role in Saturday's 117-94 win over the Toronto Raptors.

His performance made it easy to appreciate how the seven-foot-three center perfectly complements All-NBA wings, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

He's a knockdown shooter who gives those two and the Boston Celtics' offense better floor spacing than they've had since their star duo arrived. He can also punish switches, and he's a skilled passer.

There's also his immense value defensively, including his ability to hold up when switching onto perimeter players, as demonstrated in Friday's 121-107 win over the Brooklyn Nets.

The Latvian native's impact as a screener is something fans should monitor all season. In the micro, it's crucial to Boston's success per possession. In the macro, it's vital to the Celtics' quest for Banner 18.

And in his team's last two games, Porzingis probably had his best consecutive performances in that area.

It was essential to Brown's registering 29 points against the Raptors, leading all scorers, and Tatum's finishing with 27.

The former All-Star's impact as a screener was also at the root of him feasting on pick-and-rolls against Toronto. That mechanism put the visitors' center, Jakob Poeltl, in a torture chamber and also seemed unstoppable when the Raptors went small or played Precious Achiuwa at the pivot.

Post-game, head coach Joe Mazzulla conveyed the following to Inside The Celtics about Porzingis punishing Saturday's opposition in the pick-and-roll.

"First, his screening. He was able to help our pick-and-roll ball handler get some separation away from the screen. And they weren't veering at first, and so we were able to throw (the ball) back and get into a closeout and create a second-side action. And once they started veering, we were able to get their bigs away from the rim, and that's where we were able to either give it to him in the post or we were able to drive it without any rim protection."

Boston's bench boss also shared what's blown away his expectations of the former fourth overall draft pick since joining the Celtics' pursuit of the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

"His open-mindedness towards being coached has way far exceeded my expectations, and his ability to just, 'What can I do to make our team get better?'

"He's such a unique player because he has the ability to force two-on-ones in different situations. And so, those screens that he was setting were getting JT and JB and our guys downhill, and that forced them to veer, and that forced them to bring their rim protection away, which allowed us to get 60 points in the paint. And so, there's an effect there that goes on when guys start doing all those little things. And he's very open-minded to being coached on that, and we're grateful for that as well."

Further Reading

From Porzingis Pick-and-Rolls to Jaylen Brown Posters, Here's What Stood Out as Celtics Steamrolled Raptors

Jaylen Brown on Celtics Learning from Losses and Building Chemistry: 'It's a Learning Curve'

Celtics' Stars Shine, Bench Helps Boost Boston to Win in First In-Season Tournament Tilt

Kristaps Porzingis Assesses Celtics Last Attempt in Loss to 76ers

Examining What Went Wrong for Celtics' Offense in Loss vs. Timberwolves

From Self Doubt to Celtics History, Jayson Tatum Discusses Journey to 10,000 Points: 'I Didn't Think I Was Good Enough'

Jrue Holiday Discusses Celtics' Offense and Their Mindset: 'That's How Most People Like to Play Basketball'

Here's Where Jaylen Brown Impressed Joe Mazzulla the Most in Celtics' Win vs. Heat

Kristaps Porzingis Gives Glimpse of How He'll Boost Celtics Late-Game Offense

Under Joe Mazzulla, Celtics Rebuilding Brotherhood Between Past and Present

Candace Parker on Celtics Trading Marcus Smart, Maximizing Tatum-Brown Tandem, Pat Summitt, and the Sports Matter Initiative

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Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

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