The Bold Celtics’ predictions for the best 2023 NBA offseason trades and signings
The Boston Celtics had an eventful 2023 NBA offseason
What their roster reshuffling lacked in volume, it made up for tenfold with impact. Marcus Smart, the longest tenured player and emotional leader is gone. Kristaps Porziņģis, a unicorn big who blocks shots and shreds nets, is in.
Beyond that blockbuster—and making Jaylen Brown mega-rich and letting Grant Williams walk as a restricted free agent—Boston made minor tweaks on the margin. This team is very much recognizable, but it definitely has a new feel.
What should Celtics fans expect from the club’s key newcomers? We’ll answer that question with a trio of bold predictions.
Third-year player PorziņĒis made his first, and presumably many, All-Star appearances during the 2017–18 campaign. Since then, he hasn’t returned to the best pickup game in the world because injuries have plagued him in almost every season.
But the 28-year-old managed to stay healthy enough to play in 65 games last season, which is his most since 2016–17, and he showed everyone just how dominant he can be when his body plays along.
His 23.2 points per game were a new career high. His 38.5 three-point percentage was his second-best splash rate. His 8.4 rebounds were his third-most to date. And these weren’t just empty stats. His floor presence alone made the Washington Wizards 6.2 points better per 100 possessions than they played without him, the second-best net differential of his career (trailing only that All-Star season).
The only thing Porziņģis was missing last season was team success. Checking that box won’t be an in issue in Boston, as the Celtics have tallied the league’s fifth-most triumphs over the past four seasons. So long as he stays healthy—he’s battling a foot ailment now but it isn’t expected to be serious—he could have the numbers, significance and spotlight needed to make his overdue All-Star return.
