According to the staff of Celtics Wire, the Boston Celtics are already seeing “signs of subpar health” from their marquee offseason addition, Kristaps Porzingis — who was judging the plantar fasciitis that kept him out of FIBA World Cup competition in light of potentially backfiring spectacularly for the Cs.
“Could the Boston Celtics’ Kristaps Porzingis trade backfire?” “Despite being aware of the former Washington Wizards big man’s injury history, the Celtics’ front office chose to gamble on a trade for the Latvian center, sending veteran point guard Marcus Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies to complete the deal,” Celtics Wire said.
“However, we are already seeing signs of Porzingis’ poor health, with the former No. 4 pick sitting out the 2023 FIBA World Cup.”
Marcus Smart’s departure casts a pall over the Boston Celtics’ Kristaps Porzingis trade.
If Ja Morant can finally get his social media act together, the Memphis Grizzlies might be a significant concern in the Western Conference, thanks to the savvy veteran signings of Marcus Smart and Derrick Rose.
Of course, the former guard would be the biggest issue for the Boston Celtics if the Grizzlies ever made it to the NBA Finals, let alone won one in the next three seasons while No. 36 is under contract. In retrospect, Porzingis already having the injury issues he does casts a shade on the trade, and it’s only been a few months since it was made official. Neither Porzingis nor Smart have played in a game this season.
Normally, deals take years to fully identify the winner, but Boston’s win-now circumstances makes it critical for Porzingis to fit in right away. Given how difficult it was to incorporate the Latvian big man into an offense that already saw Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown split touches, the sense of urgency is frightening.
