The Boston Celtics are one of those organizations that are always looking to make moves in order to better their championship outlook. Even after making the NBA Finals in 2022 and coming up one game shy of making it back to the Finals last season, the Celtics saw a need for change. As a result, they traded for two All-Star-worthy talents in Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday.
Wednesday night marked the first game of the 2023-24 season for the Celtics, one that they had to battle in for all 48 minutes. Starting the new season off with a bitter rivalry matchup against the New York Knicks, the Celtics were able to come out on top and escape Madison Square Garden with a 108-104 victory thanks to Jayson Tatum's 34-point night.
However, Tatum was not the sole reason why the Celtics were able to defeat the Knicks on the road, as Porzingis and Holiday both had tremendous debuts with their new team.
Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday debuts
In his first game with Boston, Porzingis faced off against his former team and did not disappoint the Celtics' faithful. The Latvian big man finished the first game of the new season with 30 points on 8-of-15 shooting, 5-of-9 from three-point range, eight rebounds, and four total blocks.
Down the stretch, the Celtics leaned on Porzingis as an off-the-ball threat next to Tatum and he delivered by hitting a clutch three pointer to put Boston up three with limited time remaining.
Even with Knicks fans shouting profanities his way and booing him every chance they got, Porzingis did not let the outside noise impact him. In fact, he enjoyed the cold embrace Knicks fans gave him.
“The crowd was chanting that, for me it was fun,” Porzingis stated, via The Athletic's Jared Weiss. “I was just enjoying all of that and using that as motivation to make some big plays. It was actually really, really fun tonight to be in that environment.”
As for Holiday, his performance cannot go unnoticed. Despite shooting just 4-of-10 from the floor and scoring nine total points, the defensive mastermind was back at it, proving to everyone that he is a real Defensive Player of the Year candidate. Holiday was all over the Knicks last night, not letting them get a single easy shot off.
What's crazy is that Julius Randle, Jalen Brunson, and RJ Barrett shot just 2-of-18 combined from the floor when guarded by Holiday. Randle went 1-of-10 in 23 possessions guarded by Holiday, Brunson went 0-of-4 in 17 possessions, and Barrett went 1-of-4 in six total possessions.
One of the most underrated players in the league over the last several years, Holiday continues to show his worth every single night. Already a proven champion, the veteran point guard was brought in for one job and one job only: To help Boston get back to and win the NBA Finals.
Celtics' bench a concern?
This win against the Knicks was surely a statement sent by the Celtics to the rest of the league, especially since Porzingis and Holiday seem to fit right in with the way this team plays. Even though All-NBA performer Jaylen Brown struggled with just 11 points, Boston was still able to score 108 points as a team and win the game.
Even with all the success they found on Wednesday night, what's concerning about the Celtics after just one game is their lack of overall depth. At the beginning of the year, everyone is healthy and refreshed after the offseason. As the season progresses, the Celtics are not going to be able to avoid injuries and some of their big names will be forced to miss some time here and there.
Maybe Boston won't have to deal with long-term injuries to their stars, but they will still need secondary players to step up and help take the load off the backs of Tatum, Brown, Porzingis, and Holiday. As of right now, the Celtics do not have any reliable options on their bench other than Al Horford, who is 37 years old and in his 17th NBA season.
Against the Knicks, Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, and Luke Kornet were the only other players besides Horford to come off the bench. They shot just 1-of-9 combined and Pritchard was the only player to etch his name in the scoring column with four total points.
By trading away Malcolm Brogdon, Robert Williams III, Grant Williams, and Marcus Smart this offseason, the Celtics no longer have the reliable depth on their bench that helped guide them deep into the postseason the last couple of years. Teams that look to get out in transition and wear the Celtics down could wind up exposing Boston, especially if they are already down a man or two in the middle of the season or end up in foul trouble.
After one game in the new season, nobody should be overreacting. Adjustments will be made and other players will eventually step up when their name is called.
For the Celtics though, it is hard to imagine they will receive a ton of production over the course of the 2023-24 season outside of their six starting-caliber players. In order to contend for a championship, Boston will need all of their stars healthy.
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