The Celtics have been setting new heights throughout this entire season, not only clinching the NBA’s best record with their 62-win campaign, but have also reached new individual marks. Just as Kristaps Porzingis earned himself the Eastern Conference’s Player of the Week award, he became the fourth Boston player this year to receive the honor.
The star big man seems to be perfecting his form right when his team needs him the most, just ahead of the Celtics’ promising playoff push with hopes to finally earn the franchise’s 18th championship, and first in over 15 years.
Last week Boston handed another perfect 4-0 slate, with their center averaging averaging 19.8 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per match. This feat is even more impressive considering that last month the 28-year-old missed out on five-straight contests while recovering from an injury, but returned stronger than ever.
Kristaps Porzingis player of the week highlights:
19.6 PTS | 72.8% TS |10 REB | 3.2 AST | 1.6 STL | 3.2 BLK
All hail Latvia. pic.twitter.com/J0UiHOiPoY
— Jake Issenberg (@jakeissenberg) April 9, 2024
The other three teammates who’ve earned the Player of the Week accolade this season have been Jayson Tatum (Nov. 6), Jaylen Brown (March 4), and Derrick White (March 25). With this new mark, the Massachusetts club are the first to achieve this since the award’s inception back in the 1979/80 campaign.
“He’s a huge impact,” Brown said about the Latvian big man. “Just him being on the floor, his ability to shoot the ball, but then his ability to post up mismatches and be efficient in those regards. But then, what’s most important to me is the defensive side, his ability to just be solid, put his hands up, and contest shots at the rim.
The three-time All-Star is convinced that Porzingis came to Boston to take them to another level than the year before. “When he makes his mind up and is doing that, not taking any plays off, I think that takes our team to a whole other level,” he shared.
“We encourage that more and more because in the playoffs it could be one possession or two possessions that determines the game. We need that KP to show up, to be strong, and to be that impactful player that we’ve seen all year,” Jaylen insisted.
Brown became the 15th Celtics athlete to ever reach the 10,000-point threshold this past Sunday
The Boston squad is breaking records as we go, as Jaylen Brown reached a mark most players his age would only dream to possess. This past Sunday, the point guard achieved 10,000 career points when they beat the Trail Blazers 124 to 107.
The 27-year-old showed his appreciation for the fans that have been supporting him ever since he was chosen as the No. 3 overall pick by the Massachusetts club in the 2016 NBA Draft. “It was great,” said the former University of California star. “Especially all the supporters who have been supporting me from day one.”
While reflecting on his NBA journey, he recalled his upbringing. “Just coming from my background,” he shared, “single-parent household, just my family, being able to have an opportunity to just change things.
“When you look back on everything, all I can say is I’m incredibly grateful to be in this position. It’s been a lot of hard work and effort, but I’m extremely blessed at the same time. So, I don’t take that for granted. … I’m looking forward to just continuing to grow, continuing to improve, and maximizing my potential.”
