Three reasons why Kristaps Porzingis is a good fit for the Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics have acquired Kristaps Porzingis in a three-team trade. The All-Star big man is coming off the best season of his career. The Celtics, on the other hand, are licking their wounds after an Eastern Conference Finals humbling by the Miami Heat. 

Since the Celtics' season ended, president of basketball operations Brad Stevens has begun to ring the changes. First, he hired Sam Cassell, Charles Lee and Phil Pressey as assistant coaches. Now, he has traded away Marcus Smart for a clear upgrade at the center position. Some Boston fans will point to Porzingis' injury history as a cause for concern; however, there are multiple reasons to be excited about this trade.

Porzingis gives Boston a post presence.

During the 2022-23 regular season, the Celtics ranked 26th in the league for post offense. The modern NBA might call for a perimeter-based game, but there remains value in offensive diversity and Porzingis was one of the most effective scorers out of the post last season. 

Boston now boasts two high-level scorers on the block in Jayson Tatum and Porzingis. Head coach Joe Mazzulla can draw up actions leading to post offense or post creation. As such, we should expect to see some additional interior play from a roster that was susceptible to relying on the three-point shot last season. 

Porzingis is a high-level drop defender. 

Mazzulla likes his big men to protect the rim. Usually, the Celtics coach will deploy his center as a 'drop' defender who plays several steps behind the action. Porzingis thrived in a similar role for Washington this season. At 7-foot-3', Porzingis has the size and wingspan to deter and alter shots around the rim. As such, Boston's perimeter defenders should feel empowered by having another rim protector to bail them out when they are beaten off the dribble. 

It's also worth noting that Porzingis has averaged 1.8 blocks per game for his career.

Porzingis will help fill the void when Jayson Tatum sits.

Whenever Tatum heads to the bench, Boston's offense stutters. Without their All-NBA wing initiating plays and drawing defensive attention, the Celtics find themselves struggling for ideas. With Porzingis in the rotation, Boston will now have another star talent to lean on. Porzingis will provide three-level scoring and enough size to be an entry-pass target on rim runs. 

Having a third star on the Celtics will do wonders for Boston's offensive continuity moving forward while also allowing Tatum some additional rest during games.