Celtics Star Kristaps Porziņģis Unleashes His ‘Big Problem’ Potential: Impressive Display

BOSTON — During a recent offseason workout, Al Horford had a pleasant surprise as he went up against his new teammate, Kristaps Porziņģis. Horford thought he knew what to expect from Porziņģis, but he was still taken aback by the combination of power and grace displayed by the 7-foot-3 center during routine drills.

In a pick-and-roll situation, Porziņģis caught the ball, dribbled once, and went up to finish. Horford later recalled to The Athletic, “This probably wasn’t the case, but it looked like his shoulders were at the rim level. You play against a guy, you prepare, you see him, but it did surprise me. He’s more mobile, more athletic than I thought.”

The Boston Celtics have been eagerly anticipating seeing Porziņģis in a game setting since acquiring him from the Washington Wizards. During his preseason debut on Sunday night, Porziņģis scored 17 points in 25 minutes, showcasing why his new teammates are so excited about his game. Jrue Holiday also made his first appearance in a Celtics jersey, but Porziņģis stole the show with his impressive two-way performance in their team’s 114-106 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.

“I think it kind of came natural,” Porziņģis said of his performance. “I think it’s a big problem for the other teams to guard me in pick-and-roll with those guys, or pick-and-pop, when we play off of each other. Handoffs, back doors, all that kind of stuff. I think it’s just really, really hard to defend. And a lot of those times they draw so much attention that it opens the game up for myself. I think that’s what happened early on. The more time we get together playing, the better reads we’ll make off each other.”

Less than five minutes into the game, Tobias Harris attempted a transition layup, only to be met by the imposing presence of Horford and Porziņģis. Porziņģis reached the ball first, showcasing the Celtics’ tough interior defense even without Robert Williams.

In addition to his defense, Porziņģis displayed his diverse skill set on the offensive end. He hit a 3-pointer over Paul Reed, drove past Danuel House for a dunk, caught an alley-oop from Derrick White in traffic, and delivered a pretty assist to Jaylen Brown for a cutting layup. Although the Celtics struggled with their shooting, Porziņģis only missed two of his seven shot attempts and earned eight free-throw attempts, three more than any Celtics center managed in a single game last season.

“Open space,” Holiday said when asked how Porziņģis will change the team. “Another target, another shooter where you can’t really…you have to guard him. If you don’t guard him, he’ll do what he did tonight. Again, I feel like driving lanes are going to be more open, and guys like Brown and Jayson Tatum are going to have easier paths to the basket…it makes the game easier for everybody.”

Other notes from the win

Holiday off the bench: The Celtics surprised everyone by announcing that Holiday, who was expected to start, would come off the bench for Sunday night’s game. The decision was influenced by Holiday’s late arrival to the team, missing the opening day of practice before the trade became official. Regardless, the Celtics’ rotation during the preseason opener should not be considered final, and Holiday could still be a potential starter during the regular season.

“He came the day before practice, so I think that played a part into it,” said Joe Mazzulla. “But at the end of the day, we have seven, eight, nine starters – guys that could start or finish. The preseason is a time to experiment with different lineups, and our guys are open-minded. They’re ready to play together, ready to sacrifice, ready to do whatever it takes to win. So during the preseason, we’ll see a bunch of different lineups, and we’ll keep that open mind and flexibility throughout the year.”

Holiday struggled with his shooting, going 2-of-10 from the field, but he contributed with five rebounds and a pair of steals during a second-half run. The Celtics found success in generating turnovers with their smaller lineup of Holiday, White, Tatum, Brown, and Porziņģis. Horford, who started on Sunday, displayed impressive athleticism for a 37-year-old, with two blocked shots and a strong presence on the floor.

Although the Celtics didn’t have a flawless performance, shooting just 28 percent in the first quarter and falling behind by nine points, Mazzulla emphasized that their intention, effort, and mindset were all in the right place.

According to Holiday, the transition to the Celtics has been “fairly easy” for him.

“Really smart players that make the game easy,” he said. “I know I got a lot of wide open shots and I’ve got to knock those in, but a lot of smart players, a lot of great talent, so that’s the easiest part.”

Rotation observations: While the Celtics’ rotation is not yet set in stone, Sunday’s game provided a glimpse at a possible pecking order. After Holiday came off the bench as the first sub, Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, and Luke Kornet were the next three players to enter the game. Oshae Brissett was the only other player who received playing time in the first half.

The Celtics went 12 deep during the game. Dalano Banton and Lamar Stevens played late in the game after the starters had been substituted out. Stevens and Brissett made an impact with some tough offensive rebounds, although one of Brissett’s rebounds was waved off.

(Photo of Kristaps Porziņģis and the Celtics: Eric Canha / USA Today)