Celtics’ Jayson Tatum Compares Kristaps Porzingis to Lakers Legend

Getty Jayson Tatum, Kristaps Porzingis

With the Boston Celtics about to play the Los Angeles Lakers on February 1, Jayson Tatum made a lofty statement about the Celtics’ acquisition of Kristaps Porzingis. Tatum compared the Celtics trading Kristaps Porzingis to the Lakers trading for a Hall-of-Famer 16 years prior.

In an interview with ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, Tatum compared the Celtics getting Porzingis to the Lakers acquiring Pau Gasol in 2008.

“Kobe really needed Pau for those last two championships that they won together,” Tatum told Shelburne in a February 1 story. “Whatever path that I’m on and we’re on, KP really feels like the missing piece.”

The Lakers acquired Gasol three-and-a-half years after they traded Shaquille O’Neal. In that time, the Lakers failed to make the playoffs in 2005, then lost in the first round in 2006 and 2007. Acquiring Gasol led to three consecutive NBA Finals appearances and two championships.

The Celtics fared a little better without Porzingis than the Lakers did in that time without Gasol or O’Neal. Since Tatum and Jaylen Brown joined forces in Boston, the Celtics have made the Eastern Conference four times, which also includes making the NBA Finals in 2022.

Jayson Tatum Says Kristaps Porzingis Changes Heat Matchup

In Tatum’s interview with Shelburne, he talked about how Kristaps Porzingis has surprised him. That includes how Porzingis changes how they match up against the Heat, aka the one team that has been the thorn in the Celtics’ side.

“He definitely surprised me in the sense I didn’t really know him,” Tatum told Shelburne. “I only knew him from the handful of times I played against him, but he’s lived up to all the hype.

“We struggled last year against Miami because they were switching, and we didn’t have anybody to really throw the ball to, to expose their switching. They took advantage of us on that, and KP is like the ultimate answer for that.”

Porzingis showed exactly this when the Celtics played the Heat on January 25. Before spraining his ankle on January 25, Porzingis put up 19 points on six-for-nine shooting, which included hitting three three-pointers.

Tatum elaborated on why Porzingis is a matchup nightmare for the Celtics’ opponents.

“You put somebody big on him, and they’re probably too slow and not quick enough to keep up with him,” Tatum said. “You put somebody shorter on him, they can stay with him, but he’s 7-foot-4, so he’s literally just going to shoot over that top and not be affected.”

Brad Stevens Reveals What Inspired Kristaps Porzingis Trade

President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens revealed that Kristaps Porzingis’ last performance against the Celtics in 2023 inspired him to acquire Porzingis.

“Unfortunately, or fortunately, I don’t know how you would want to put it,” Stevens told Shelburne. “I was at the game last year, on the road with our team, when we got drummed in Washington. He was a big reason for it. … Seeing that in person had an impact.”

In that game, Porzingis put up 32 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists in what turned out to be a Wizards’ blowout win against the Celtics on March 28, 2023.

Porzingis gave Stevens and the Celtics’ front office credit for paying attention to him.

“I have to give a lot of credit to the front office – Brad and [VP of basketball operations] Mike [Zarren] – because obviously they watched what I did last year. They really paid attention,” Porzingis told Shelburne. “Being in a smaller market, I thought it would maybe go under the radar, but I did everything I wanted to do to build myself back up to being that player.”

A few months later, the Celtics traded for him.