Could Kristaps Porzingis be the Celtics version of Rob Gronkowski?
I know I know we’re not suppose to cross sports but I got to give it to a very good friend of the night show Brian Barrett (@itsbrianbarrett) from the ringer who had a great tweet that inspired this idea. Joe Murray tossed his tweet in our slack channel earlier today and I couldn’t help but think they may be onto something. That something being the comparison between Rob Gronkowski’s impact on the Patriots and Kristaps Porzingis impact on the Celtics. We all know Gronk has won multiple Superbowls and is arguably the greatest tight-end to ever play the game. So no we aren’t comparing Porzingis to Gronk on the field calling Porzingis one of the greatest power forwards of all time but is there a chance he could impact the Celtics winning in a way Gronk did with the Patriots?
The Patriots went on a 20 year run that will probably never be matched again in any sport. Yet there was a slight down period in the middle of that run where they weren’t winning Lombardi trophies. Until the emergence of Rob Gronkowski and his rapport with Brady that elevated the team during the second half of the dynasty. Is there a chance that Porzingis could be the missing piece for this Celtics team? A team that has been loaded with talent in recent years and certainly already has it’s superstar in Jayson Tatum but hasn’t been able to get back to the promise land and win a Larry O’Brien trophy since 2008.
I think there is a very good chance Porzingis could be the missing piece for the Celtics. He gives them something they haven’t had before in a guy that doesn’t need the ball in his hands at all times to impact the game. It seems nowadays that most championship teams are constructed of a big 3 and the Celtics have tried numerous different guys in that role. From Kyrie Irving to Gordon Hayward and it didn’t work. Now a lot of that is due to Hayward’s injuries and Kyrie well just being Kyrie but another factor is just the basketball perspective of it all. Irving and Hayward are ball dominant players that just didn’t work in the Celtics offense or in the Celtics locker room.
Porzingis came into the league being called the unicorn because that’s exactly what he is on the basketball court. His unique skillset makes him a 1 of 1 type talent and when healthy the Celtics look like an unstoppable force on both sides of the ball. Sound familiar to anyone else? I know Gronk never played defense but there is no denying how different the Patriots were when he was healthy and on the field compared to when he was off of it. I think the drop off for the Celtics without Porzingis isn’t quite as steep as the Patriots drop off without Gronk because he was such a special player. However I do believe there is something to the thinking that he could be the key difference maker in getting the Celtics back to the NBA Finals and finally winning one for the first time since 2008.
Just like Gronk the biggest concern for Porzingis is health and he has already missed a handful of games for the Celtics but if they can keep him healthy down the stretch and head into the playoffs fully loaded there is no reason to think Boston can’t win another title this spring. Like Gronk when Porzingis is healthy teams have to prepare completely differently for the Celtics not just on offense but on defense as well because of Porzingis rim presence. As long as Porzingis stays healthy along with the other Celtics superstars I see no reason they shouldn’t be in the Finals competing for another title.
