Kristaps Porzingis, the newly acquired forward for the Boston Celtics, made his highly anticipated debut for the team in a preseason showdown against the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Latvian forward, who arrived in Boston this offseason via a trade with the Washington Wizards, showcased his versatility on the court.
He contributed significantly, tallying 17 points and securing 5 rebounds in 24 minutes of play. This impressive performance played a pivotal role in the Celtics’ 114-106 victory over the 76ers.
Speaking after the game, Porzingis expressed his enthusiasm about the potential synergy with his new teammates. He highlighted the challenges posed to opposing teams in guarding him, especially in pick-and-roll situations.
Porzingis praised his fellow Celtics for drawing defensive attention, creating opportunities for him to excel.
“I think it’s a big problem for the other teams to guard me in the pick and roll with those guys,” he said Porzingis after the game.
“We can just play off of each other. Handoffs, backdoors, all of that kind of stuff. I think it’s just really, really hard to defend, and a lot of those times, [my teammates] draw so much attention that it opens the game up for myself.”
