Kristaps Porzingis’ confidence should have the rest of the NBA running scared
On Thursday, Kristaps Porzingis played his sixth game of the season for the Boston Celtics, who defeated the Detroit Pistons. The All-Star big man has slowly been returning to fitness after undergoing surgery during the offseason.
Porzingis had his best game so far. He dropped 19 points, grabbed eight rebounds, dished out two assists, got one steal and recorded two blocks. On a night when Jayson Tatum was sidelined with injury, Porzingis reminded everyone why he’s viewed as the Celtics’ X-Factor.
When speaking to the media during his postgame news conference, Porzingis noted how he isn’t far from being back to his best.
“I think a couple more games,” Porzingis said. “A couple more games. Then I’ll be where I need to be.”
Porzingis played in 57 regular-season games for the Celtics last season, winning 43 of them. He’s a proven commodity when on the court with either Tatum or Jaylen Brown, if not both. Considering Boston has only played 112 possessions with a fully healthy starting five, and they still boast a 20-5 record to begin the season, the rest of the league must be dreading Porzingis’ return to game fitness.
If Boston has been this dominant while navigating injury issues, it will be nearly unstoppable once fully healthy. It’s hard to see how opposing teams will manage their scoring, defense and cohesiveness while also challenging for a win.
Porzingis’ performance against the Pistons is the start of things to come. Sure, he’s looked good in other outings, but this was the first time his movement felt crisp and calculated. It was the first time it felt like he was near the level we saw en route to a first-seeded finish in the Eastern Conference. And when he’s playing at this level, he takes the Celtics to a different stratosphere.
The real Porzingis is about to stand up, and when he does, the majority of the league will be watching with a nervous energy usually reserved for the shy kid at the school dance.
