Shams: Porzingis to Boston?

[RodyTur10]

Porzingas has exceeded my wildest expectations

Not to be disrespectfull, but I don't understand why.
Porzingis, last year, averaged: 23/8 (on 50/39/85, 63 TS%).
As a former All Star he's exactly doing what he did before.

ps: the Celtics could cut Tatum and Brown and they'd still be a top team

the last part is nonsense.  You take Tatum off this team and they become a play-in team. You take them both off the team and they don't even make the play in.

I think they'd be around the level of Cleveland, New York and Miami.
Rotation: White/Holiday/Hauser/Brissett/Porzingis (Pritchard/Stevens/Horford/Kornet)

Star comparison: White/Holiday/Porzingis vs Garland/Mitchell/Allen vs Brunson/Anunoby/Randle vs Herro/Butler/Adebayo

Cleveland also has Mobley, but Porzingis would be the best big on the floor and while Mitchell is a huge weapon the backcourt combo White/Holiday complements each other better than theirs.

Then New York, a team with grit. However even without Tatum and Brown I don't really see a talent deficit.

Miami seems controversial, but it's clear that Butler is not the player he once was. And while both Herro and Adebayo have both hurt us in the past I would take the pick-and-roll combo White/Porzingis over that both offensively as defensively.

[celticsclay]

Porzingas has exceeded my wildest expectations

Not to be disrespectfull, but I don't understand why.
Porzingis, last year, averaged: 23/8 (on 50/39/85, 63 TS%).
As a former All Star he's exactly doing what he did before.

ps: the Celtics could cut Tatum and Brown and they'd still be a top team

I think the difference is the context. Putting up 23/8 on the worst team in the NBA is one thing, translating that offense and being effective on defense and fitting in with a good team is a different kind of task. The way he's slipped in to what the Celtics do while enhancing it but still playing his own game is impressive.

Exactly this. Putting up the same numbers in the best team versus the worst team is an insane difference. Otherwise kuzma would make all star team.

[Roy H.]

The numbers don't surprise me.  His personality, his ability to fit in, etc. have to some extent.

The narrative around KP was that he was a bit aloof, not a guy who was always embraced by his teammates, etc.  He's been the polar opposite of that, contributing positively to chemistry.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

The numbers don't surprise me.  His personality, his ability to fit in, etc. have to some extent.

The narrative around KP was that he was a bit aloof, not a guy who was always embraced by his teammates, etc.  He's been the polar opposite of that, contributing positively to chemistry.

Maybe he matured and found a home?

Kinda' reminds me of Rasheed Wallace. Immature. Couldn't fit in on various teams. Supremely talented. But then found the right home and became the missing piece to a championship.

[green_bballers13]

This is clearly the best opportunity KP has had to win. Instead of coming in to save the day, he's just one of the pieces. There's a lot less pressure here. He's probably the best third option in the league. There aren't that many other teams where this would be the case. The Celtics have the infrastructure in place to win. I'd argue that NY and Dallas were not prepared to win a ring.

[Phantom255x]

This is clearly the best opportunity KP has had to win. Instead of coming in to save the day, he's just one of the pieces. There's a lot less pressure here. He's probably the best third option in the league. There aren't that many other teams where this would be the case. The Celtics have the infrastructure in place to win. I'd argue that NY and Dallas were not prepared to win a ring.

I'm surprised it didn't work out for them in Dallas.

Not surprised about New York though. Porzingis took a lot of heat and bullets but that team was still sort of dysfunctional (remember the Phil Jackson days?) and didn't have enough talent on the roster around him. Porzingis did improve and have some good seasons but unfortunately got hurt which made him miss a season. Then they dealt him but it was clear KP didn't see it working in NY and NY clearly weren't patient enough.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

Love Porzingis and don't want to trade him.

But today I had an idea. An awful idea. Today I got an wonderful, awful idea.

Zinger, Hauser, Pritchard, Svi, all future available firsts and swaps

for

Durant, Little (into TPE)

If the Suns continue to deteriorate as a contender, they might look to make a move to get other pieces back. The Celtics are well-positioned for a trade like that. At this stage of his career, Durant could dictate where he wants to go, and he has flirted with the Cs and Stevens in the past.

This triples down on the top-end talent and gives us another elite offensive option. Durant can do all that Zinger does on offense, but better.

[RodyTur10]

Love Porzingis and don't want to trade him.

But today I had an idea. An awful idea. Today I got an wonderful, awful idea.

Zinger, Hauser, Pritchard, Svi, all future available firsts and swaps

for

Durant, Little (into TPE)

If the Suns continue to deteriorate as a contender, they might look to make a move to get other pieces back. The Celtics are well-positioned for a trade like that. At this stage of his career, Durant could dictate where he wants to go, and he has flirted with the Cs and Stevens in the past.

This triples down on the top-end talent and gives us another elite offensive option. Durant can do all that Zinger does on offense, but better.

Don't like it because Horford can't be a starter anymore at this stage in his career. We'd lose our rim protector. Not confident Durant can hold his own if we play him as a center against Embiid or Jokic.

If we could pitch Brown to the Suns that would be much better, but I can see them having some interest in Porzingis not Brown.

[angryguy77]

Love Porzingis and don't want to trade him.

But today I had an idea. An awful idea. Today I got an wonderful, awful idea.

Zinger, Hauser, Pritchard, Svi, all future available firsts and swaps

for

Durant, Little (into TPE)

If the Suns continue to deteriorate as a contender, they might look to make a move to get other pieces back. The Celtics are well-positioned for a trade like that. At this stage of his career, Durant could dictate where he wants to go, and he has flirted with the Cs and Stevens in the past.

This triples down on the top-end talent and gives us another elite offensive option. Durant can do all that Zinger does on offense, but better.

I don't think you want to ruin the chemistry that's developing on this team.

By the end of the year this team should be playing even better than they are now.

[ozgod]

Love Porzingis and don't want to trade him.

But today I had an idea. An awful idea. Today I got an wonderful, awful idea.

Zinger, Hauser, Pritchard, Svi, all future available firsts and swaps

for

Durant, Little (into TPE)

If the Suns continue to deteriorate as a contender, they might look to make a move to get other pieces back. The Celtics are well-positioned for a trade like that. At this stage of his career, Durant could dictate where he wants to go, and he has flirted with the Cs and Stevens in the past.

This triples down on the top-end talent and gives us another elite offensive option. Durant can do all that Zinger does on offense, but better.

I don't think you want to ruin the chemistry that's developing on this team.

By the end of the year this team should be playing even better than they are now.

Agree. And I don’t want KD on this team. Sure he won 2 with Steph but it always seems to end in tears with teams he is on.

[SparzWizard]

Love Porzingis and don't want to trade him.

But today I had an idea. An awful idea. Today I got an wonderful, awful idea.

Zinger, Hauser, Pritchard, Svi, all future available firsts and swaps

for

Durant, Little (into TPE)

If the Suns continue to deteriorate as a contender, they might look to make a move to get other pieces back. The Celtics are well-positioned for a trade like that. At this stage of his career, Durant could dictate where he wants to go, and he has flirted with the Cs and Stevens in the past.

This triples down on the top-end talent and gives us another elite offensive option. Durant can do all that Zinger does on offense, but better.

I'd rather trade Brown with a couple of picks for KD. Which should have happened last February.

[Kernewek]

Love Porzingis and don't want to trade him.

But today I had an idea. An awful idea. Today I got an wonderful, awful idea.

Zinger, Hauser, Pritchard, Svi, all future available firsts and swaps

for

Durant, Little (into TPE)

If the Suns continue to deteriorate as a contender, they might look to make a move to get other pieces back. The Celtics are well-positioned for a trade like that. At this stage of his career, Durant could dictate where he wants to go, and he has flirted with the Cs and Stevens in the past.

This triples down on the top-end talent and gives us another elite offensive option. Durant can do all that Zinger does on offense, but better.

I don't think you want to ruin the chemistry that's developing on this team.

By the end of the year this team should be playing even better than they are now.

Agree. And I don’t want KD on this team. Sure he won 2 with Steph but it always seems to end in tears with teams he is on.

The other half of this is that if you don't have a player at the level of Curry in 2016, does KD get you a ring?

[Birdman]

Love Porzingis and don't want to trade him.

But today I had an idea. An awful idea. Today I got an wonderful, awful idea.

Zinger, Hauser, Pritchard, Svi, all future available firsts and swaps

for

Durant, Little (into TPE)

If the Suns continue to deteriorate as a contender, they might look to make a move to get other pieces back. The Celtics are well-positioned for a trade like that. At this stage of his career, Durant could dictate where he wants to go, and he has flirted with the Cs and Stevens in the past.

This triples down on the top-end talent and gives us another elite offensive option. Durant can do all that Zinger does on offense, but better.

We got a good thing going, so why break it…just need a vet big in case Al or Porzingus goes down, Drummond be great here

[michigan adam]

Love Porzingis and don't want to trade him.

But today I had an idea. An awful idea. Today I got an wonderful, awful idea.

Zinger, Hauser, Pritchard, Svi, all future available firsts and swaps

for

Durant, Little (into TPE)

If the Suns continue to deteriorate as a contender, they might look to make a move to get other pieces back. The Celtics are well-positioned for a trade like that. At this stage of his career, Durant could dictate where he wants to go, and he has flirted with the Cs and Stevens in the past.

This triples down on the top-end talent and gives us another elite offensive option. Durant can do all that Zinger does on offense, but better.

Way too much for a player that doesn't play defense.  I think Durant is very over rated frankly.  So many people look at offensive stats and say this  or that person is great.  Look at Trae, Lillard, Ja...and others.  These are heavily flawed players.  They excell at half the game and suck at the other half.  Defense matters.  To me, white and Halliday are two of the better PG's in the league because they excell at both ends!

[Vermont Green]

Love Porzingis and don't want to trade him.

But today I had an idea. An awful idea. Today I got an wonderful, awful idea.

Zinger, Hauser, Pritchard, Svi, all future available firsts and swaps

for

Durant, Little (into TPE)

If the Suns continue to deteriorate as a contender, they might look to make a move to get other pieces back. The Celtics are well-positioned for a trade like that. At this stage of his career, Durant could dictate where he wants to go, and he has flirted with the Cs and Stevens in the past.

This triples down on the top-end talent and gives us another elite offensive option. Durant can do all that Zinger does on offense, but better.

Durant is probably still a better overall talent than Porzingis, although he is one of the few players that has more durability concerns than Porzingis.  Durant will likely play fewer games than Porzingis.  But Porzingis gives the team exactly what the team needs to complement Tatum and Brown and Holiday and White.  Having a skilled big is more impactful than having another skilled wing, even one as good as Durant.

I would not trade Porzingis for Durant.