Poll: Can anyone challenge the Celtics at full strength?
The Celtics got their fifth infinity stone back on the court last night as 7'2" unicorn Kristaps Porzingis made his season debut for Boston five months after undergoing foot surgery.
Porzingis played a cool 23 minutes, scoring 16 points on 6-of-12 shooting with six boards and a pair of assists. His return helped propel Boston to a 51-point second quarter in a game the Clippers managed only 49 points in the first half, and a 32-point win overall.
It was what we saw for large swaths of last regular season with the C's absolutely demolishing the competition. Granted, the Clips aren't world beaters this year, but they did enter last night's game with a respectable 11-7 record. Yet it was evident within about 15 minutes that the team which was already arguably the best in the NBA is an unbeatable force with No. 8 parked in the middle.
Now, there's nothing certain about having Porzingis in the middle of it all. He got back on the court more than a month before most expected, but his health is no certainty. If it were up to me, I'd stash him in bubble wrap until the playoffs.
The luxury Boston has is depth, and that should afford them the opportunity to keep Kristaps, Horford, Holiday, and anyone else who needs a little maintenance fresh.
It's still six months away but if the Celtics roll into the playoffs a fully healthy unit, is there anyone out there to stop them?