Training Camp Questions: How Will the Celtics Use Kristaps Porzingis?

Kristaps Porziņģis returned to the floor and took part in his first Celtics scrimmage on Wednesday, six weeks following the team shutting him down to recover from plantar fasciitis. Whether a real concern or extreme caution against playing in last month’s FIBA World Cup, Porziņģis can now ramp-up for 26 days ahead of the Celtics’ opener and should make his Boston debut in next Sunday’s preseason slate against the Sixers.

That will give fans a long-awaited preview of what Porziņģis will look like fitting next to stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, and which starting lineup Joe Mazzulla experiments with first. Early indications within the team lean toward Robert Williams III joining him the front court, but that hasn’t been officially decided as Joe Mazzulla will likely cite flexibility through Boston’s early process of figuring that out. Mazzulla already previewed how he’ll utilize Porziņģis, making an interesting comment at his introductory press conference in June.

“He can take some pressure off of Al and Rob … we can play double-big … we can continue use Kristaps in the same way that we used Al,” he said. “With his ability to play out of the post, I think that’ll take some pressure off our guys and give a different dimension to our offense.”

Mazzulla cited using Porziņģis in both interior and perimeter roles, which will naturally happen as Boston mixes pick-and-rolls with pick-and-pops, transition seals and isolations. Noting that he could mirror Horford’s role in the offense indicates an increase in the share of Porziņģis’ shots that’ll come behind the three-point line. Showing defenses he’ll attack from two keeps them off-balance and gives Boston more ways to attack.

Spacing will remain an emphasis with Brown and Tatum on the floor, and that left Horford attempting 68% of his shots from deep. Porziņģis finished last year with a 35% share of threes as a total of his field goal attempts, slightly up from his career mark of 33.3%. He shot his most total threes (403) under Rick Carlisle in Dallas in 2019-20, converting 35.2%, more points per shot than his higher-efficiency three-point season a year ago.

As a strong shooter he brings a case to take more threes, maintaining a 38.5% efficiency as a top option on the Wizards. If Porziņģis hypothetically pivoted all of his 191 mid-range attempts (hit 46.1% for 176 pts) to three at that rate, he would’ve scored roughly 45 more points, or 0.7 per game. That’s not how it’d play out exactly, and many of his post-ups would qualify as mid-rangers considering his shooting-oriented game, but it shows the benefit of hunting more threes for a good shooter at volume.

Porziņģis took and made difficult shots inside the arc, a valuable skill. He’ll receive more space screening from three for Brown and Tatum, and last year he hit nearly 40% of his wide open threes (2.4 per game). Playing next to Luka Dončić, he generated 3.2 per game and hit 40.2%.

“I want to come here to make life easier for (Brown and Tatum),” Porziņģis told CLNS Media in June. “Hopefully, with my skillset and my talent, I can take some pressure off of those guys and that’s it. I came here to try to make this team better, and I’m excited to play with such high level guys that have been there from year-to-year, and have that (playoff) experience already. I think it can be a great combination.”

Pick-and-pop accounted for most of Porziņģis’ usage last year and should again, tied for the 11th in pick-and-roll usage per game as the screener and producing 1.18 PPP (61st percentile). No big man aside from PJ Washington rivaled his number of spot-up jumpers each night, and Porziņģis still finished in the 65th percentile of efficiency.

He should shoot often, but his 1.18 PPP on post-ups proved a more efficient look than his jumper (1.08), albeit with past struggles in that position casting some doubt on his ability to recreate such a season. Mazzulla and Brad Stevens committed to integrating the look, but the Celtics rarely fed the post last year.

Porziņģis, in fact, logged more post-up possessions (3.4) than the entire Boston team did each night, raising questions about the Celtics’ ability to make the entry passes necessary. Derrick White’s trainer Marcus Mason pointed toward the guard’s experience setting up LaMarcus Aldridge on the block in San Antonio. After White and others complete the pass, does the secondary movement behind the post-up happen? Will those looks lead to stagnancy on offense?

For all the talk of sacrifice and maturity he expressed at his introduction, Porziņģis will prove it on the possessions where his presence spacing in the corner without the ball proves as crucial as his ability to go to work on the block.

“We didn’t post a ton this year, but to be able to throw the ball in the post and shoot over a switch, and do it so efficiently and effectively is a big deal,” Stevens said in June.

“Let alone be able to play behind the line or shoot the ball and drive it and those types of things. He brings a lot to our team. You can envision as I can envision some of the lineups we can put out there size-wise right now, it’s pretty intriguing and not without dropping any skill.”

Whether Horford, Williams III or wings join Porziņģis on the perimeter will dictate where he plays offensively. Another benefit to positioning him above the three-point line comes with his passing, where he flashed back door bounce passes and lateral vision off the drive. He nearly doubled his prior career assist average playing in Washington (2.7), and joins a group of good decision makers who all benefit from giving the ball up.

Porziņģis can thrive as a cutter, posting 1.27 PPP last year. He made quick decisions after the catch around the post against Miami’s zone despite shooting 38.6% from the field in their three meetings. Against Toronto, he averaged 24.3 PPG.

The defensive fit should happen seamlessly. Whether he defends at the level of the screen (0.93 PPP allowed vs. P&R) or drops back to take away the rim (allowed 1.18 PPP to rollers), offenses will try to navigate around his shot-blocking.

Lineups where he plays with Williams III will utilize his teammate’s elite help side defense to allow Porziņģis to play higher. With Horford defending and sometimes switching screens guarding fives, Porziņģis can try his hand at being Boston’s roaming shot-blocker.

The Celtics prioritized returning to forcing turnovers after taking a massive dip last year compared to their 2022 defensive unit. Having multiple rim protectors gives perimeter defenders chances to play more aggressively, and could even allow some of the team’s more vulnerable defenders like Payton Pritchard to play more often.

Setting up transition, Porziņģis generated 1.20 PPP (67th percentile) and made strong outlet passes. That and his shot-making in the half court, making him an obvious and easy target for Brown, should solve some of the team’s second unit woes from a season ago.

That’s another case for keeping Malcolm Brogdon around, letting Brogdon, Brown and slashers cut for easy baskets when Porziņģis does possess the ball. Porziņģis undoubtedly helps this team if healthy, his offense so flexible and after many rival voices around the NBA expressed Boston’s tough shot-making as what makes the Celtics so difficult to beat, he’ll spread defenses out even further. This also marks the first time he’ll become a team’s third option, highlighting his playmaking, defense and ability to accept a role more than ever before.

Considering he played for the Knicks, Mavericks and Wizards prior — three of the team’s most tumultuous franchises — this marks a fresh start for the once invaluable prospect.

“I don’t know if it always has to be through the post,” Stevens said. “But I think in this day and age, benefit greatly from having a big that can be the hub at times. It doesn’t have to be all the time, but can be the person offense flows through and you get cutting off of it … we’ve been fortunate enough to play through Rob as a passer, we’ve been fortunate enough to play through Al a lot with the ball and Kristaps is another person that can do that.”