In a major surprise development for the reigning champion Boston Celtics' season, Kristaps Porzingis made his season debut on Monday night as they hosted a Los Angeles Clippers team that was on the second night of a back-to-back. Back in June, Porzingis underwent surgery to repair the leg injury that bothered him in the NBA Finals, and many believed that his absence would stretch into the new calendar year. Instead, he managed to return in late November and be productive in a dominant 126-94 Celtics win, no less.
Immediately slotting into the starting lineup with Al Horford out due to illness, Porzingis put up 16 points, six rebounds, and two blocks in just 23 minutes of play — showing out of the gates how important he is to the Celtics' title-defense bid. And head coach Joe Mazzulla could not have put more succinctly how impactful he thinks Porzingis was to their win on Monday night.
“Yeah, I thought [Porzingis] played well. We were able to get back to some of our defensive versatility… Offensively, just really helped our spacing,” Mazzulla said, per Jack Simone of Hardwood Houdini.
Porzingis' nickname is “The Unicorn” for a reason; he helped revolutionize what teams expect/desire from a frontcourt player, as Porzingis can do it all — shoot threes at a high volume while protecting the rim like a legitimate center. The Celtics reached a new level last season thanks in large part to Porzingis' contributions, and now, he makes them an even better squad — a terrifying thought.
The Celtics were already dominant this season even before Porzingis returned, winning 14 of their first 17 games on the season. And until further notice, Boston stands atop the league's totem pole — especially now that they're getting closer to returning to full strength.
Kristaps Porzingis picks up where he left off in return to Celtics lineup
If there was ever a favorable matchup for Kristaps Porzingis to make his return, it's against a Clippers team that has a center more comfortable playing near the paint and in drop coverage. Porzingis' best asset, aside from his rim protection, is his three-level scoring ability, and he commands so much attention on the perimeter that his mere presence opens up a ton of driving lanes for the Celtics.
It was no surprise to see the Celtics' offense hum to the degree it did, and against one of the best defenses in the league no less, with Porzingis back from injury. They made 22 threes as a team (on 51 attempts) as they continue to win the nightly mathematical battle.
