Antonio Daniels suggests Kristaps Porzingis returning for the Celtics is a cheat code: ‘He is literally the perfect compliment to finish out that Boston 5’
The Boston Celtics hold the second-best record in the NBA after 18 games (15-3), just behind the Cleveland Cavaliers (17-1). The bad news for the rest of the Association is that the Celtics just got Kristaps Porzingis back in the fold after missing the first 17 games. For veteran point guard Antonio Daniels, that’s as close a cheat code as any team could have.
“It’s wild to think how dominant the Boston Celtics have been, and they got back Kristaps Porzingis yesterday,” said Daniels in an interview with SiriusXM NBA Radio’s Rob Perez. “7-foot-4, 7-foot-3, can step out and shoot it. If you switch, he’s not a physical post up guy, but he has a touch soft enough to shoot over you. Defensively, has the foot speed and length to switch.”
“He is literally the perfect compliment to finish out that Boston 5. The perfect compliment to Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown,” added the 13-year veteran.
The Latvian came over from the Washington Wizards in a three-team trade that involved the Memphis Grizzlies and the Celtics during the summer of 2023. He was wallowing in mediocrity the past few seasons and had trouble staying healthy. Brad Stevens rolled the dice on KP, thinking he could bring a different dimension to Boston, so he let go of Marcus Smart to make it possible. Needless to say, the gamble paid off handsomely.
The often-missing but much-needed piece
For good reason, Porzingis would probably never shake off the “injury-prone” tag for the rest of his career. He only reached 70 games in a season once (his rookie year), missed a year after tearing an ACL, and returned to decent form in DC. He played 57 games for the C’s last season, but when Porzingis is available, they are damn near unbeatable.
In 58 regular season appearances (including the Clippers game on November 25), Boston went 44-14. He suited up for seven playoff games in the 2024 postseason, ending with six Celtic victories over a lone defeat. Overall, the Association’s winningest franchise is 50-15 with KP in the lineup, a staggering winning percentage of 77 percent.
The Clippers were on a roll, logging five straight in the win column before KP’s Tuesday night debut. It hardly mattered. Porzingis chipped in 16 points, six rebounds, two assists, and two blocks in 23 minutes before sitting out in the fourth en route to a 126-94 victory.
What KP brings to the table
Boston would probably be fine record-wise without KP, but coach Joe Mazzulla noted that the seven-footer ‘adds different layers to what they do.’ “Porzingod” could do pretty much everything on a basketball court, with deep range and versatility to make a Swiss army knife jealous. He is also confident enough in his basketball skills that he could venture outside of his comfort zone, something Jayson Tatum loved about his teammate.
“KP essentially did exactly what we needed him to do the entire season,” Tatum said of Porzingis back in June, per MassLive. “Whether it was punishing switches or space the five-man, being in the corner, sometimes that might be going possessions without touching the ball. Or it may be when they’re switching, we give him the ball five times in a row.”
“We switch things up a lot and we have so many talented, gifted players on the offensive and defensive end. Everybody’s just got to be open to trying to different things. And I give KP a lot of credit — especially somebody as talented as he is and obviously as tall as he is. A lot of the big guys may be stuck in their ways doing what makes them comfortable.
He got outside his comfort zone a little bit and it made us a better team,” added the four-time All-NBA.
The Celtics aim to become the first team to win back-to-back titles since the Warriors in 2017 and 2018. As defending champions, they’ll have a target on their backs all season, but with a game-changer like Porzingis on the floor, they have an extra X-factor that keeps opponents on edge.
