The Boston Celtics defeated the Indiana Pacers 155-104 (no that's not a mistake, they actually scored 155 points) and now hold a 4-0 record for the 2023-24 season. It is no secret that Boston looks sharp to open the new campaign. Kristaps Porzingis, who is in his first year with the Celtics following an offseason trade, believes Boston is only going to get better from here.
“It might look really good already because we’re beating these teams easy but it’s going to get much better,” Porzingis said, per Jay King of The Athletic.
The Celtics had championship aspirations a season ago before falling in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat. People immediately questioned their future but the Celtics did more than answer the call. Boston not only signed Jaylen Brown to a long-term contract extension, but the Celtics brought in stars such as Porzingis and Jrue Holiday. Now their Jayson Tatum, Brown, Porzingis, and Holiday-led starting rotation is arguably the best in the NBA.
The primary question mark Boston has dealt with over the past few years is in the post. Porzingis is helping to address that concern though.
Kristaps Porzingis making pivotal impact for Celtics
Injuries have given Porzingis trouble in the past. When healthy though, he's proven to be a star-caliber player.
The New York Knicks originally selected Porzingis in the NBA Draft and he displayed signs of stardom during his rookie season in 2015-16. Porzingis has since played for the Dallas Mavericks and Washington Wizards before landing in Boston this past summer.
So far, he's been impressive with the Celtics. Porzingis is currently averaging just under 19 points per game to go along with 7.3 rebounds per contest. His presence in the post has been pivotal, as Boston certainly appreciates his rim-protection. Porzingis is averaging 1.5 blocks per contest as of this story's publication.
It goes without saying but it's only been a four-game sample size for the Celtics' new big man. Nevertheless, it's clear this team has what it takes to seriously compete. The Eastern Conference has only gotten better with teams such as the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers prepared to challenge Boston.
Based on Porzingis' warning though, it is the rest of the conference, and NBA for that matter, that should be intimidated by this squad.
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