Kristaps Porzingis Might Have Been The 'Missing Link' For The Boston Celtics
Jayson Tatum believes the acquisiton of Porzingis will pay off at the end
It’s been over a decade since the Boston Celtics have won a NBA championship. But the organization has made the right moves to inch their way forward to another one. In 2016, they drafted Jaylen Brown and in the following year, Jayson Tatum. With this duo, the Celtics have made eight consecutive playoff appearances, including a Finals run in 2022.
However, similar to many other great teams, it takes more than just two players to make it work. And Tatum knew that. During a recent interview with ESPN, Tatum revealed that the addition of Kristaps Porzingis could be what the Celtics have been missing. He even used it to draw comparsions to one of the all-time greats.
"Kobe [Bryant] really needed Pau [Gasol] for those last two championships that they won together," Tatum said. "Whatever path that I'm on and we're on, KP really feels like the missing piece."
Even though the relation between the two has yet to be confirmed, he could have a legitimate point. Before the Los Angeles Lakers acquired Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies via trade in 2008, the Lakers were fighting to win another championship. The last title they earned was in 2002 as part of a three-peat orchestrated by Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.
After O’Neal was traded to the Miami Heat in 2004, the Lakers were left with just Bryant to carry the organization. The emptiness was felt as the Lakers missed the 2005 playoffs after a 10-year stretch of postseason appearances. They did lock in playoff spots for the following two years but never made it past the first round.
Midway through the 2007-08 campaign, the Lakers realized Bryant needed help. As a result, they acquired Gasol from the Grizzlies. With Gasol in a purple and gold jersey, the Lakers made six straight playoff runs, winning back-to-back championships in the process.
The Celtics could mirror the Lakers’ blueprint
The Celtics have proven themselves as the team to beat this season.
As of right now, they are in possession of the Eastern Conference’s number one seed with a NBA-best record of 37-12. If they finish the season at the top of the Conference, it will mark the first time since the 2016-17 campaign.
They are also one of the most well-structured teams in the league. They are second in offensive ratings with 121.1 and third in defensive ratings with 112.0. They even have the best net rating in the league at +9.1.
If the Celtics continue to play this level of basketball, a championship might not be out of reach.
Cory Nelson is a contributor to Fansided’s “Wiz of Awes”. He attended Northern Virginia Community College. He can be reached at corymckenzienelson@hotmail.com or follow him on Twitter @CKenzyNelson and Instagram @ckenzynelson