Although the Celtics came out on top last night over the Miami Heat, Kristaps Porzingus left the game early. Let's discuss the good and bad possibilities of this and how the Celtics will prosper.
The Good Scenario
Here, the good scenario is pretty obvious: Porzingus can return by the end of the conference semifinals and all is well for the team, yet let's dive deeper. If Kristaps Porzingus can only return by the Eastern Conference Finals, I still believe the Boston Celtics are in great shape. Although a key member, the Celtics can prosper without Porzingus on the floor. If he were to be absent against either the Magic or the Cavaliers, Al Horford could possibly slip in and contribute as well to that center position, and there are big pros to this. Al Horford, having been on the Celtics for a while, is a great fit to the puzzle that is the starting five, as he can shoot around and inside the arc as well as defend.
The Bad Scenario
I would say that the bad scenario here is that he is out until maybe the Finals, in which the Celtics would run into some issues. Although unknown yet, the Celtics would most likely face either the Pacers or the Knicks, who are both very strong teams. If the Celtics played the Pacers, we would find issues defending someone like Myles Turner, as he is a fast and strong combination Al Horford would have a big problem dealing with. Following that, the Pacers are a very fast pace team, and without Kristaps, there would be a large speed disparity. However, if we went and played the Knicks, the Celtics would again find some issues. With strong post players like Hartenstein and Robinson, Al Horford would have a major issue trying to guard these kind of players, and that series may turn upside down for this Boston team.
The Ugly
If worse comes to worst and Kristaps Porzingus has an injury which takes him out for the rest of the remaining post-season, all Celtics finals hopes would drop greatly. If the Celtics put everything together and got to the finals, there is a solid chance they would play one of three teams: Nuggets, Thunder, or Timberwolves. When it comes to the Nuggets, without a fast stretch player like Kristaps, the Nuggets and Nikola Jokic would have their day with the Celtics team and end the series quickly. With the Thunder, Kristaps Porzingus would be a great theoretical counter to Josh Giddey, yet the Celtics would still be able to play great basketball against OKC. Yet, the Wolves would give them the most trouble, as Karl Anthony-Towns and Rudy Gobert would both have a mismatch if Kristaps cannot play, and the Celtics would face their demise.
~Tyler Rath
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