Former player turned analyst Kendrick Perkins does not approve of the Kristaps Porzingis trade which included Boston parting ways with Marcus Smart.
He thinks that the trade disrupts the Celtics’ continuity the importance of which was demonstrated by the Nuggets this year. Besides, he says, Porzingis has not proven himself to be a winner.
Perkins thinks that the real reason why Smart was dealt was because he and head coach Joe Mazzulla did not get along well.
“I hate it because all last year we kept talking about, including myself, how Boston had the most complete team which they did. This is why you don’t take when you have an opportunity to win a championship for granted and you maximize it. That’s one thing.
“The second thing is after the Denver Nuggets won, they talked about how they had patience, how they had patience letting guys grow, let Jamal Murray get healthy.
“We’re about team that has been to multiple conference finals, that just went to the Finals two years ago. And we’re talking about the heart and soul of this team [in Marcus Smart].
“Porzingis hasn’t shown us nothing on the big stage or even a stage at all when it comes to the postseason. So when I think about Marcus Smart and I think about the swag, I think this was a move that was made because Joe Mazzulla and Marcus Smart couldn’t see eye-to-eye.”
