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Ahead of the NBA finals, many Boston Celtics fans hope that the team will be at full strength. The Celtics may have breezed through the playoffs, but they're still missing the services of Kristaps Porzingis. A 7-foot-2 big man with a gift for scoring, “The Unicorn,” as they call him, brings a lot to the table, and his presence on the floor is arguably a game changer. Just ask Paul Pierce.
On a recent episode of Ticket & The Truth by All the Smoke Productions, the 2008 Finals MVP spoke about the “beauty” of having Porzingis on the Celtics.
“The beauty about him (Porzingis) is he doesn't have to be the best player,” Pierce said. You know? Just his presence alone on the defensive end, with his height and his athleticism to block shots, and his shooting ability that makes this offense unlock even more.
“Those driving lanes that weren't there in the other series, they're gonna be there 'cause you got this dude spotting up. Now, you know, when they beat you baseline, you got this seven-footer — just his presence alone will have somebody kick it out. I know he's not going to be fully 100%. His presence is everything to unlock that offense and defense,” Pierce added.
“The beauty about [Kristaps Porzingis] is that he doesn’t have to be the best player… I know he’s not gonna be 100%, but his presence is everything to unlock that offense and defense.”
— Paul Pierce 👀
(via @allthesmokeprod)
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 3, 2024
Kristaps Porzingis enters his first-ever NBA Finals
During the regular season, Porzingis was the third option offensively behind Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Nevertheless, the big man was still productive. He averaged 20.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in 57 games.
Porzingis' career started in New York, where he was named an All-Star during the 2017-18 season. He then spent a couple of years in Dallas, which didn't pan out well due to injuries and struggles. From 2021-2023, Porzingis had a fruitful tenure with the Washington Wizards before being traded to the Celtics.
If his recovery goes well, the big man will be playing in his first-ever NBA Finals. And there might be a personal edge to the whole thing. During Porzingis' tenure with the Dallas Mavericks, there were rumors that his struggles had plenty to do with chemistry issues, particularly with Mavericks star Luka Doncic.
This was recently addressed by Porzingis' former teammate, Chandler Parsons, who spoke about the topic on an episode of Run it Back.
“Don't get it twisted, they do not like Porzingis in Dallas,” Parsons said. “Luka did not like playing with him. There is an actual beef there…every time he touches the ball, he's gonna get booed.”
Away games in Dallas will definitely be interesting for Porzingis (if he recovers from injury in time). And as for the Celtics, Porzingis isn't the only one hungry to win. Tatum, Brown, and most of the roster haven't experienced a championship yet. They've gotten a second chance following 2022's heartbreak, and they'll surely be playing with a lot of personal motivation as well.
Game 1 tips off on Thursday, June 6, at 8:30 p.m., ET.
