Kristaps Porzingis Is Truly A Gift From The Basketball Gods

For as good as the Celts had been with their 14-3 start and 5 wins in a row, it still felt like there were higher levels they could go to. Winning while not really playing to your standard is nice, but definitely not something you should rely on. It always felt a little fucked up to keep saying the Celts could still be better while they continued to take down everything in their path, but it was true.

Well, last night was what I've been talking about.

When you watched this team play, things just didn't feel quite right. They were dominant, but it was a different type of dominance compared to what we watched last year. That doesn't mean it was bad, just different. 

Now with their 7'3 demon back in the lineup the Celtics finally looked like the Celtics. That extra level? You saw it on both ends in this win. Offensively, the Clippers defense (a top 5 unit) had zero answers. Defensively, all the things that plagued this team through the first month of the season instantly disappeared. This wasn't their first blowout win of the season, but it was the first blowout win of the season that felt just like last year to me.

It may seem unfair that a team like this gets to be able to add a player like Porzingis back into the mix, but I'll remind you the Celts did this all last night without Al Horford, and he's a Knight. There are even higher levels this team can get to. I know, that makes me sound like an asshole, but once again, it's the truth.

The Good

- There's no chance we could start anywhere else. Whatever you expected from KP in his debut, the reality was better. That's really the entire story of this injury/rehab. I don't think any of us knew what to believe when it came to his return, and that ended up being better than we thought. Once we learned he'd be active, the fact that his play immediately delivered is the stuff of legends. I'm not kidding, from the very first possession on, KP looked like his old self and his impact was undeniable

There's a reason Porzingis is referred to as a cheat code, and it took a total of one (1) game for the world to see why. 

Let's start at the top of the list. Physically, KP looked great. We did not see a player who was overthinking his injury and was hesitant to really empty the tank (think Gordon Hayward's return), it was mostly just the normal basketball conditioning that was to be expected. He looked fine sprinting down the floor, he was willing to jump and contest everything, and personally this did wonders to calm any sort of nerves I may have had that he wasn't ready to go. This dude has been ready for weeks.

Offensively, it didn't take long to see the impact of why KP raises this team's ceiling to unknown heights. It's a simple lose/lose situation. You're presented with a choice, you can either send two to Tatum/Brown off a ball screen and give an incredible shooter this type of space

If you don't, that's a Tatum/Brown finish at the rim. You have a split second to make a decision, and neither are in your best interest. 

If you decide to switch, well, that's death too. The Celts didn't even really unleash KP on the FT line/elbow all that much in this game, but when they did, it was automatic points. Remember, this dude is 7'3 with elite shooting touch. They just don't make humans like this, and chances are your team does NOT employ a defender that is prepared for this on any type of switch

Without skipping a beat, we saw the type of diversification that KP brings to this offense. He's the secret weapon that takes them from being a devastating offense to a historically devastating offense to stop. For this to be his first game back, you have to understand KP is going to get even better offensively as he gets his legs under him. He's not going 1-6 from deep on wide open looks all that often, there's more post ups to come where he's the most efficient post scorer in the league, and let's not forget his ability to draw FTs. 

Defensively, it took 15 seconds for KP top immediately make an impact with his rim protection. THIS is what was missing from the first 17 games, and it's not just the shots the KP blocks. It's the contests without fouling, it's the fact that now players think twice before attacking the paint/rim because they know KP is somewhere out there ready to block the shit out of whatever they throw up. It sounds a little obvious that no duh a 7'3 two way monster would make a huge impact defensively, but he really does. Guys are able to be more aggressive on the perimeter because they know KP has the backline covered.

The numbers speak for themselves. The Celts had been one of the worst teams in the entire league in terms of rim FG%, allowing something crazy like 67%. Last night? 57% 

Part of that of course is the Clippers roster not being all that elite at rim finishing without Powell, but the majority of it was the return of KP. He truly does change EVERYTHING this team is capable of on both ends. 

- I can't lie, even though we saw it for over 100 games last year on the way to the title, I cannot get over how much I enjoy watching opposing fanbases/commentators brains continue to break because of the Celtics 3pt shooting. Were none of you paying attention last year? Or were you so blinded by the hate that you refused to accept what was happening?

We hear all the time "the can't shoot like this forever" or "this was a fluke" because the Celts make at least 20 3PM in a game.

Sorry, this isn't a fluke. This is the rule.

When Mazzulla Ball gets rolling and the ball is moving and guys are shooting with confidence, it's simply too much to handle. You could tell early in this game the Celts were getting whatever look they wanted, it was just a matter of converting. Once those shots started to drop off those same clean looks in the 2nd quarter, the route was on

They tied an NBA record for 3PM in a quarter (12) and the first 7 or 8 shots they made in that frame were 3s. Sadly, the Clippers decided to trade 2s for 3s, so is anyone surprised they were on the wrong end of Mazzulla Ball? That's Day 1 stuff. 

The AST number there is the key. It's not about the volume of 3PA, but how they are generated. Outside of maybe 1 or 2, it didn't feel like the Celts forced a single 3PA. They played within the offense, they played the right way, and they were rewarded. It has to be so deflating to play against this because it comes from literally every single player on the court. There's no weak link, there's no chance to catch your breath, and when they collectively get on a roll there is no a defense on the planet that can stop them.

- It's very rare that we see Payton Pritchard have two bad games in a row. A "down" performance by his standards against the Wolves, guess who immediately bounced back? Payton Pritchard

Pritchard (and Hauser) were the ones who got things started in the second quarter, and it was those two who again stopped the bleeding in the 3rd quarter and got things back up to 20+. 

We're at the point now where I am truly shocked whenever Pritchard misses. I'm not sure how he's actually a real person if we're being honest. Unlimited range, gigantic balls, elite ball pressure, and easily the 6MOY leader. He really is one of the greatest gifts Danny Ainge gave this franchise

A team best +30 (!!!!!!!) in his 25 minutes, Pritchard outscored every Clipper not named Zubac and he did it off the bench. What a player.

- It is a blessing that the Celts can win by 32 points and their two best players are "quiet". After a loud performance from both Tatum/Brown against the Wolves, last night was a case of neither guy forcing anything and just playing with what the game told them to do

The most notable part of both performances for me is easily the return of the Jaylen Brown 3 ball. To say it had been nowhere to be found early in the year would be an understatement, but it sure looks like it's back on the menu.

Jaylen is now 10-17 over his last two, and is shooting 38.8% over his last 6. It's not just open C&S threes either, he's back to making contested threes too which is truly when you know he's locked in. Did you also know Jaylen is currently on a streak of 6 straight games with at least 4 AST, and has had 4 AST in 11 of his last 12 overall? I was surprised when I learned that fact this morning, but it tracks.

Remember all that bullshit about Tatum's jumper? He's shooting 41.1% over his last 6 as well, and that includes an 0-10 performance. On the season, Tatum has settled in at 37% on over 10 3PA a game.

- Coming off a benching and some of the worst basketball of his season, Neemias Queta needed a night like last night. I think by now we all know that there are going to be moments where Queta looks unplayable, but there are also going to me moments depending on the matchup where he looks incredible. That's going to be part of his developmental process. The bad times are BAD, and the good times are something else

The Clippers didn't really have a reserve big man, so it makes sense that Queta looked great and dominated his minutes. That's the whole point! Finding him spots during the year that put him in a good spot where he can get the much needed reps to work on his flaws. The inconsistency is what he's battling, and nights like this go a long way in giving him the confidence that he does belong in the league, he just has to continue to work on the details.

Nobody is suggesting he's ready to handle Jokic, but in a game like this? Against a team with no size? That's the perfect spot for Queta and he thrived in his minutes. You could make the case this was his best performance of the young season, and if it allows the team to be patient with Kornet's hamstring issue, that's even better.

- Derrick White is perfect. That's it. That's all that's needed to be said

The way White has morphed into the type of shooter that will bury you the second you give him an inch of space is such an insane development that there's no way Brad Stevens even knew what he was getting. You absolutely cannot soft switch against Derrick White now, because once you do……

That single shot is exactly what I'm talking about. It shows the commitment White has made to become a consistent shooting threat, but it's also the look of a guy that has been completely empowered by his head coach to do shit like this. We all know the Celts reach another level when Derrick remains aggressive, and that play is a perfect example. For some, that's a terrible shot. For Bald Derrick, that's a layup.

- Uhhhhhhh hello Jordan Walsh?!?!?!?

The Bad

- What is there to complain about in a 32 point win? Not much, but I'd say the 3rd quarter certainly qualifies. The Celts came out pretty flat despite being up 29 at the break, with the Clippers getting off to a quick 11-0 start. This has sort of been a trend we've seen all year where the Celts are building these massive leads only to immediately give them back, and once things got down to 15 about midway through the 3rd it was hard to not think that was going to happen again.

Thankfully, Pritchard/Hauser happened, but it illustrates a larger point. The Celts have to be better at fighting the human emotion of letting up a little bit and settling offensively when they have these massive leads. I get other NBA teams are going to go on runs, but to go from 29 to 15 in a blink of an eye ain't it. The ball stopped moving, the defense wasn't as intense, and they played with fire.

Ultimately they responded which was nice, but I wouldn't say this was a complete 48 minute performance. We're still seeing at least one down quarter in these games, so when I say the Celts can get even better, that's part of what I mean.

- I'm not going to pretend 14-20 from the FT line is good. You can choose to not care about this, but I'll never get over it. This team is too good at the line to be missing 6-8 FTs a game. I don't care if it didn't matter in terms of the score, stop leaving points at the FT line. Tatum missing multiple, Jaylen missing multiple, it's annoying.

- No two ways about it, Jrue is in a brutal shooting slump. A 3-10 (1-6) against MIN and a 2-10 (1-8) last night, he's definitely fighting his way through it. The defensive impact is still there, but I honestly cannot remember a time where Jrue missed so many open corner 3s. Maybe we were spoiled by him shooting like 67% from the corners last year and this is just normal (37%), but to think the Celts can put up 126 with ease when one of their starting guards can't buy a shot to save his life is very funny. 

The Ugly

- Sorry, you know the rules. We skip this section until the Celts lose again. 6 in a row and just getting started so who knows when we'll be back.

All things considered, I'm not sure the KP return could have gone any better. Now everyone gets 3 days off before things start back up again and the Celts enter their toughest stretch of the season with 5 games in 7 days. I'm not sure about anyone else, but I'll be spending this Thanksgiving giving my thanks to the brain of Brad Stevens. Look at what he built. What a guy.