Celtics Superstar Lauds New Teammate’s Contributions.
Jayson Tatum praised Kristaps Porzingis for his contributions to the Boston Celtics following a surprising June 2023 trade that sent long-time team leader Marcus Smart to another team.
Before Porzingis’s anticipated return in the NBA Finals against his former team, the Dallas Mavericks, Tatum highlighted the Latvian player’s offensive, defensive, and overall team sacrifices.
“KP essentially did exactly what we needed him to do the entire season,” Tatum said (h/t MassLive). “Whether it was punishing switches or spacing the floor, being in the corner, sometimes going possessions without touching the ball, or when they’re switching, giving him the ball five times in a row.
“We switch things up a lot and we have many talented, gifted players on both ends. Everybody’s got to be open to trying different things. I give KP a lot of credit, especially for stepping out of his comfort zone, which made us a better team.”
Despite Porzingis’s abilities, his impact in the Finals against the Mavericks is expected to be limited due to his prolonged absence and the team’s success with Jrue Holiday in a more prominent role. If Boston wins the championship, it will likely be because of the standout performances of Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and effective containment of Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic.
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