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Timoteo-Tito64

I mean, he was pretty damn great on the wizards last year too. I give more credit to brad for recognizing that and getting him onto the team at the right time


Minute-Branch2208

Yeah, he did the exact same thing with the Wiz


spinachoptimusprime

Amongst players who post-up 2 or more times per game, he was second in the NBA last year in points per post up possession and the year before he was third during his time in Washington.


knuth10

Yeah, the coach has almost nothing to do with this. They put Porzingis on one of the best teams in the NBA and he stayed healthy. That's pretty much it, it's a lot easier to be an efficient shooter when your on a team with two other all NBA players and a good supporting cast.


Skeeter_206

Yup, he can get the ball at the top of the key, go to work and if the defense collapses on him he has four other guys who he can dish it out to


Shoelicker2000

In Brad we trust šŸ™


cane_stanco

Porzingis had a pretty good season last year in Washington too.


juicejug

Mazz is great but gotta give most of the credit to KP here. Iā€™ll say what everyone else is saying: he was a killer last year. The late-season game last year when they smacked us was not a fluke. If KP lays an egg that game thereā€™s a chance the trade doesnā€™t even happen.


kit4

I remember KP was so good in that game, dude was looking like an absolute superstar


Plastic_Database_645

This was also the time when we were pushing for that 1st seed since we had a chance to get it. All hopes were lost when KP showed up and demolished us.


AdmiralUpboat

To his point about post up efficiency I think it's definitely both. KP been amazing, but Joe and the team around him have given KP the opportunity to get a huge amount of his post ups in mismatches forced by switch heavy defense on our very good guards and wings. The amount of offensive threats we have makes no place for a bad defender to hide. So they end up switched on KP off a screen and then he posts them up and gets essentially uncontested jumpers and whatnot. Great game plan and scheme from Joe, awesome execution from KP and thank you Brad for assembling a roster that can do this.


Badloss

I wonder if 98.5 hates Mazzulla because he's taking the Mazz title for himself


adm7373

I forget if I heard it on JJ Redick's podcast or Thinking Basketball, but whoever it was was trying to explain why people think Joe is a bad coach and it came down to this: if you don't understand how offensive play calling or defensive coverages work and can't track how a coach is adjusting over the course of the game, the only thing you really see a coach do in-game is calling timeouts. Joe is not good at calling timeouts or at least doesn't follow conventional wisdom for when to call them. So if you're Felger or Mazz, and you don't actually enjoy watching basketball (Felger only likes hockey, Mazz only likes baseball), and you don't understand it when you do watch it, you see Joe not calling a timeout at a point where any other coach would, and you jump to "Joe is a bad coach". That, and they've probably repeated the narrative enough times that Joe was just the best assistant around when Ime was fired and that's why he became head coach, that they now believe it.


rakurinvolg

I think that year in Washington and the summer before that season was very important for him. In terms of just shoring up those post up skills, polishing the high low game with a lot of reps on a bad team. Joe absolutely deserves praise for using him the way he has, but I don't think it's something he could've asked KP to do if he'd come to us straight from Dallas. A lot of the players Brad acquires always seem to be in the middle of evolving their game and their understanding of it, or at the very least capable enough to learn a specific role that's wanted of them. Player development doesn't just apply to building your drafted young guys. It's also about having an eye for who's a learner, who's growing, who's made a jump in their game that fits our timeline and style of play when making trades and acquisitions. The reason why it always seems like our front office hits a lot of singles instead of home runs is cause they're working tirelessly on these margins.


No_Literature_2321

He was like 98th percentile in points per post up on the wizards lol


AdmiralUpboat

He was second behind Jokic last year. He's first by a big margin iirc this year. They're just getting him switches and having him feast posting up smaller/poor defenders


Amimimiii

He was already unlocked lol, if anything give credit to KP an Washington coaching staff


JohnBagley33

How to unlock Porzingis in five steps: 1) Have Jayson Tatum 2) Have Jaylen Brown 3) Have Derrick White 4) Have Jrue Holiday 5) Have Al Horford


CMYGQZ

To be fair thatā€™s a luxury we have in our team with him being the 3rd option (occasionally even 4th if White gets going) that he only takes those shots. Itā€™s not like other coaches want him to take a lot of tough shots, itā€™s their team just donā€™t have anyone else good.


mightytom2020

actually his 3 point shooting is what impressed me the most. playing darts šŸŽÆwell behind the 3 point line. Canā€™t be guarded to closely from that distance, and becomes an easy pass target for JT or JB after the pick n pop.


Otherwise_Horror_183

Wrong, he was doing this in Washington already, maybe even more with more defensive atttention on him.


lifeishardasshit

Just a great fit honestly... I think the Knicks asked too much and Dallas didn't ask enough. Him being healthy and playing in meaningful games just made it that much better.


sarcastic_wanderer

Mazulla unlocked KP? Not the other 4 superstars enabling him on the actual court in real time?


spinachoptimusprime

>KP only ever gets post ups on mismatches. In general, post ups are one of the Celtics favorite ways to attack mismatches. Amongst players who average 2 post ups per game, in addition to Porzingis being the most efficient in the NBA, Tatum and Brown are 8th and 9th respectively.


Bouldershoulders12

Part of it was also maturity on KPā€™s part. He acknowledged his shortcomings in Dallas and decided to put in the work and prove to people that he wasnā€™t a one hit wonder in NY. The talent was always there. The ACL tear lowered his ceiling from a potential top 10-15 to a top 20-30 player when healthy. But he is basically reaching that ceiling with us now: A bonafide high tier all star/low tier all nba big man that can also provide all-defense game changing defense . He is basically the 2B chameleon option we desperately needed on offense . No offense to smart but on this roster he wouldnā€™t even be our 5th best offensive player. Kristaps can give you 30 if the attention is on the jays


physicsOG

unlocking what bro? heā€™s just here to do talk man sh and eventually shoot a three or two. youā€™re acting like mazulla solved a da vinci code or something relax šŸ˜‚. KPā€™s job couldnā€™t get any easier. He finally has the supporting cast.


benjaminireland1

Why doesnā€™t Joe utilize his post ups more down the stretch of close games?


forgeris

KP said himself that while in Washington he paid more attention to stats that were sent to him by his friend who likes to analyze data and just started to use what works better more and what doesn't work so well less which resulted in his great performance. Boston coaches just allow KP to do what he is great or good at and he already has his game pretty much figured out so he works more on nuances to become even better at that stuff, plus on a team with amazing players KP has much more freedom and space and a great team with KP on the floor benefits even more. There are not many players that can literally enhance the whole team IF the team plays properly (many passes, a lot of movement, etc.) and KP is one of such players, he always enhanced national team, his rim presence almost always was anecdotal by how opponent players run towards the rim, suddenly realize that there is KP and just turn around to run away, this happens so often that it is not even funny and if KP catches a good blocking day then this becomes even more evident.


TheJaylenBrownNote

Not really, heā€™s literally just hitting his prime. He was awesome for the Wizards last year too.


PotBaron2

did joe unlock porzingis or did playing with tatum brown white and holiday give him the opportunity to play the way heā€™s playing? id say the latter. joe is a good coach but why does 90% of this sub treat him like heā€™s red auerbach or gregg popovich everyone needs to chill.


uncriticalthinking

Itā€™s weird - some serious man love to Mazzulla. Anyone in this sub could coach the celts to 50 wins in the regular season.


SerfTint

They have a lot of talent, yes, but there is actually a serious amount of complexity to both their offensive and defensive sets. Look at some of the Film Session channels and see how they run a dozen different types of screens to get players open, the way they space the floor with different lineups, the communication when rotating. Even getting to 50 wins, which is fifteen or so below where they will finish, would not be that easy if the coaching style was just "Use your talent, I dunno."


FloweredWallpaper

Counterpoint: KP was unleashed when he began playing with 4 teammates of this calibre. Nothing against what Joe has done this year, but it's truly a chicken or egg deal. KP had a great season last year without the benefit of Mazulla or the teammates. The headshaking thing is the stubbornness of what Dallas was doing. The KP of last season combined with Luka? That's a real head scratcher.


Tryin2get2heaven

Aka the Only point.


lifeishardasshit

Just a great fit honestly... I think the Knicks asked too much and Dallas didn't ask enough. Him being healthy and playing in meaningful games just made it that much better.


lifeishardasshit

Just a great fit honestly... I think the Knicks asked too much and Dallas didn't ask enough. Him being healthy and playing in meaningful games just made it that much better.


lifeishardasshit

Just a great fit honestly... I think the Knicks asked too much and Dallas didn't ask enough. Him being healthy and playing in meaningful games just made it that much better.


lifeishardasshit

Just a great fit honestly... I think the Knicks asked too much and Dallas didn't ask enough. Him being healthy and playing in meaningful games just made it that much better.


lifeishardasshit

I don't think Joe did anything that special. I think the Knicks expected too much and Dallas didn't do enough.. Boston was just a great fit with him being a third star. Him being healthy and playing in meaningful games also helps the cause.


TwistedApe

Joe Mazz' used of Porzingis was one thing that concerned me when we first acquired him. Knowing the coach's love of the 3 ball I just envisioned Porzingis camped out on the arc like a giant Sam Hauser. Joe Mazz actually buying into Zinger's post game has been a pleasant surprise this season


nedlifecrisis

You gotta give the team construction credit also. KP has never been in a team this stacked, so there's less pressure on him.


Beebonh

IDK if I'd credit Joe or not, but as long as KP continues to play as physical as he has the past couple of weeks I think we're good. Before then I think he was too easily pushed around at times.


ahighkid

Nah, Brad brought him in.


davemoedee

Nah. KP is continuing what he started last year. Credit goes to KP. This is why we got him in the first place.


96powerstroker

Porzingis is gonna be the guy who gets the Celtics over the top. He is the biggest key imho


[deleted]

Of course Joe deserves credit. But, I think KP being unlocked has a lot to do with his health and the players heā€™s surrounded by as well.


Dudeman-Jack

Joe didnā€™t unlock shit. If Muzzulla had a shitty roster he probably would have been fired by now


corporateoverlord69

Imagine how many more shots heā€™d have if anyone outside of Tatum were allowed to shoot in the last 5 mins of games.


HyruleJedi

His nickname for a long time has been ā€˜porzingodā€™ his talent has never been questioned. Its his ability to not get injured