At his best, Kristaps Porziņġis is one of the top stretch big men in the league, with the potential to completely change a team on both ends of the court as he enters his 10th season in the NBA.
The Atlanta
Hawks made a major move this summer by acquiring Kristaps Porziņġis from the Boston Celtics in a three-team trade. It’s clear the Hawks are looking to make a run in a rather depleted Eastern Conference. The Unicorn averaged 19.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 2.1 assists this past season in 42 games, while shooting 41.2% from beyond the arc for Boston. His ability to score from all three levels is definitely something the Hawks have been looking to add to their arsenal.
The concern for Kristaps doesn’t come from his ability but rather his availability. He’s no stranger to missing games throughout his career, dating back to his time with the New York Knicks. It would not be a surprise if Porziņġis continues that trend and misses some games this year, either due to injury or load management to prevent future injuries.
The 7-footer from Latvia missed several games last year due to a viral illness which affected him most towards the end of the year and into the playoffs while he was with the Celtics. Although Porziņġis feels as though his illness is gone, the confusion about what it was still lingers.
Fortunately, he seems to have bounced back from the illness and regained his confidence after a successful run with the Latvian national team this summer. In the most recent FIBA EuroBasket, Porziņġis averaged 20.2 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2 assists per game. It was clear he was feeling back to his old self.
There is no doubt that if the Hawks can get a healthy version of ‘KP’, they can really make some noise in the Eastern Conference. Porziņġis makes life easier on his teammates, point blank, end of story. The amount of defensive attention that he commands opens up plenty of opportunities on the court for Atlanta’s offensive playmakers namely Trae Young and Jalen Johnson. The pick-and-roll becomes lethal with Porziņġis’ ability to either finish at the rim or pop for an open jumper. He shoots the ball at an elite level for someone of his size, making him nearly unguardable.
While ‘KP’ isn’t afraid to shoot the ball, launching six three-pointers a game last season, he also moves the ball to open teammates and gets the offense going. Porziņġis ability to see what is developing on the court and react appropriately is one of my favorite parts about his game. He was able to showcase some of that basketball IQ with an off-ball cut in the clip below.
Defensively, Kristaps is 7’2” and averages 1.8 blocks per game in his career. He will fit in right alongside some of our key defensive players, namely Dyson Daniels, which would give the Hawks elite defense in both the frontcourt and backcourt. He’s simply a problem. While his rebounding has looked shaky at times during the preseason, expect that to normalize once October 22nd rolls around.
Playing through the frontcourt is essential in today’s NBA and having a big man that can stretch the floor like ‘KP’ opens up a world of possibilities. The Atlanta Hawks are blessed to have the best passer in the league and it’s one of the things Kristaps commented on after one of the recent preseason games.
The skill set that Kristaps Porziņġis brings to the Hawks is undeniable. He has all the tools needed to help elevate the Atlanta Hawks to the next level. The 2024 NBA Champion will bring much-needed experience and weaponry to what could be one of the most explosive offenses in the NBA.
The Kristaps Porziņġis and Atlanta Hawks partnership should amass numerous accolades for both the individual and the team. The stars have aligned, and his addition to the team is perfect. It is not hard to envision the predictions below becoming reality, and I’m excited to watch this relationship flourish.
