Kristaps Porzingis Says Celtics Are Getting a Player Whose Best is Yet to Come

Kristaps Porzingis is coming off a career year and joins the Celtics' title pursuit in his prime.

Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Kristaps Porzingis burst onto the NBA scene, dazzling the basketball world with what he was capable of as a mobile seven-foot-three center who could protect the rim and bury shots from beyond the arc, including off the dribble.

He became an All-Star in his third year in the league. But after that came an ACL tear and souring on his experience in New York. With him and the Knicks ready for a divorce, the former fourth-overall pick headed to Dallas, joining forces with Luka Doncic.

But their partnership proved underwhelming. How often the ball was in the hands of the Mavericks' face of the franchise seemed to zap some of the joy of basketball from Porzingis. And in 2022, after trading him to the Wizards at the deadline, Dallas reached the Western Conference Finals.

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But last season, his first and only full one in Washington, the Latvian native turned in a career year, averaging 23.2 points, a personal best. He also grabbed 8.4 rebounds, dished out 2.7 assists, and blocked 1.5 shots per game.

He also nearly made it into the elusive 50/40/90 club. The former fourth-overall pick shot 49.8 percent from the field, drilled 38.5 percent of his 5.5 three-point attempts, and converted on 85.1 percent of his 6.4 free throws.

Celtics fans should also be excited about him knocking down 39.3 percent of his 4.7 catch-and-shoot three-point attempts, according to NBA.com. He'll give Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown a reliable kick-out option and provide more space for them to attack downhill.

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Adding to Porzingis' motivation as he joins a title contender pursuing its 18th championship banner is that "getting traded to Boston; it made me realize how much I missed playing on a big stage," adding, "This is a different level of excitement."

And along with how their offense will benefit from his addition, Celtics' brass is excited about what Porzingis brings defensively as someone who will protect the basket and be disruptive at that end of the court.

At Thursday's introductory press conference, he told Inside The Celtics of pairing with Robert Williams and Al Horford, respectively, on defense, "Those guys are really high-level defensive players, and both are really good protecting the rim. I'm gonna be out there also protecting the rim.

"And those guards that are on the team, I think they're all dogs. And they're gonna make life even easier for us defensively as bigs. They're gonna put even more pressure on the ball when guards are driving by and stuff like that. And this is a special team that I'm gonna be able to join."

Porzingis, who turns 28 in August, also wants the Celtics and their fan base to know they're getting someone in his prime whose best seasons are ahead of him.

"I think these (are) the best years for a basketball player. Physically they're, and mentally, really, really, getting to a different level. I think the work paid off for me. I looked at my game. I looked at how I can be more efficient and just -- really analyzing myself. And it paid off last season; all of the work that I put in off the court to stay healthy. And my body also maturing, getting to that age, helped, and I believe I have some great, great, high-level years ahead of me."

Further Reading

Kristaps Porzingis Says Joining Celtics Was an 'Easy Decision'

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The Latest Intel on Celtics' Restricted Free Agent Grant Williams

Jordan Walsh Let's Celtics Fan Know What He Brings to the Table: 'A Guy Who Wants to Do Whatever It Takes to Win'

Jordan Walsh Discusses Getting Drafted by Celtics, His Welcome to Boston

Brad Stevens Shares What Compelled Celtics to Trade for Kristaps Porzingis

Brad Stevens Discusses Difficult Decision to Trade Marcus Smart: 'He'll Always Have Boston'

After Trading Marcus Smart, Acquiring Kristaps Porzingis, Where Do Celtics Go from Here?

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