After winning Game 5 against the Orlando Magic, the Boston Celtics advanced to the second round. The team will have to wait to see who they'll play as the Detroit Pistons forced a game 6 against the New York Knicks. While the Celtics wait for that series to close, which player has the most to prove in the next round?
It was a rough first-round series for Kristaps Porzingis, whose stats dropped considerably from the regular season to the postseason. Against Orlando, the 29-year-old center had one game where he shot above 40% from the field and three, both coming in Game 4. He only broke double-digit points twice, coming in games 2 and 4.
Porzingis missed most of the postseason last year after hurting his ankle in Game 4 against the Miami Heat. He returned for Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks before getting hurt again in Game 2. Porzingis was cleared for Game 5 and helped the Celtics win the NBA championship, but people wondered if Porzingis was needed by the Celtics to win.
For the Celtics, neither the Knicks nor the Pistons' defense will be as physical or good as Orlando's was. This will help the Celtics, but also Porzingis, who was a focus of Orlando's defense, with them doing everything they could to limit his three-point attempts. Against either the Knicks or the Pistons, Porzingis will see easier matchups. If the Knicks beat the Pistons, a revenge series against his former team could be just what Porzingis needs to get back on track.
If the Celtics want any chance of repeating, they need Porzingis to play better. For Porzingis, a good second-round series could help end the notion of him being a soft player, a label he's had since his days as a member of the Knicks. The start time for Round 2 is not available due to the Knicks and Pistons series still ongoing.