Boston Celtics head coach, Joe Mazzulla, recently shared news on Kristaps Porzingis and his status. Porzingis is currently dealing with a right soleus strain that he suffered in game four of the first round series against the Miami Heat.
“Yeah, it’s definitely better than we thought,” Mazzulla said. “And the one thing about KP is I don’t know what his timetable is, but I know his mentality. He really pushes himself to get back as quickly as he can. And he does a great job working to take care of himself. He’s walking a little bit better. Every day, he’s in there, doing whatever it takes to try and get back as fast as he can. So, I appreciate that.”
Boston is currently up one game to nothing in their series against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Mazzulla Shares Update on Kristaps Porzingis’ Progress
Kristaps Porzingis’ Importance to the Boston Celtics
While the Celtics certainly look dominant right now, they are still missing Porzingis’ presence in the paint. Not only does the seven-foot-two center provide much needed rim protection, but he is also another offensive threat that can score 20 or more points on any given night. For the playoffs, the one-time All-Star was averaging modest numbers of 12.3 points, 5.0 total rebounds, 1.8 assists per game, and a three-point shooting percentage of 40.0 percent before suffering his soleus strain in the first round.
During the regular season, Porzingis logged averages of 20.1 points, 7.2 total rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game. Not to mention, he also shot 51.6 percent from the field which was a career-best to couple with a three-point shooting percentage of 37.5 percent. While the Celtics have plenty of firepower in their starting lineup, one can see why Kristaps Porzingis’ presence is so vital to Boston’s success going forward.
Boston Looking Like Title Favorites This Postseason
The Boston Celtics handled business in round one against the Miami Heat, a team that has been a thorn in their side for the past few seasons. Now, they are handling business against a stout and defensive Cleveland Cavaliers squad. A team that finished the regular season ranked seventh in defensive rating (112.1) while the Celtics finished second in defensive rating (110.6).
During the postseason, the Celtics have averaged a very impressive team defensive rating of 101.9. Players such as Derrick White and Jaylen Brown have stepped up while Porzingis heals from his injury. The playoffs are far from over, but it is hard to envision any team from the Eastern Conference defeating Boston in a seven-game series as of now, especially if Kristaps Porzingis returns sooner than expected.
