How Celtics must adjust in wake of Kristaps Porzingis injury

Celtics Kristaps Porzingis looking concerned next to a focused Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown on a Boston city background

With Kristaps Porzingis down, someone else will have to step up for the Celtics.

The 2024 NBA Playoffs have been a bloodbath in terms of injuries, and the Boston Celtics are just the latest team to report health issues. In the second quarter of Boston’s 102-88 win over the Miami Heat in Game 4, Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis hobbled off the court with an injury and never returned. The Latvian big man’s full status is still unknown, yet he’ll be out for Game 5 on Wednesday night at the very least with a right soleus strain. Beyond that, he could miss “a minimum of several games,” per ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski.

Celtics C Kristaps Porzingis is expected to miss a minimum of several games with the right soleus strain, sources tell ESPN.

The Celtics say Kristaps Porzingis is out with a soleus strain — the same injury Giannis Antetokounmpo has missed the entire Bucks-Pacers series so far with.

It’s not quite panic mode for Boston, but Porzingis was the team’s third-leading scorer in the regular season and a huge piece for the C’s on both ends of the floor.

With a 3-1 series advantage over the Heat, Boston will aim to eliminate them in Game 5 and give Porzingis ample time to recover. It’s worth noting that Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo missed the first four games of the first round because of a similar calf injury.

In the meantime, the Celtics will have to adapt without one of their best players on the court.

The Celtics will need the best versions of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) takes a 3-point shot in front of Miami Heat forward Caleb Martin (16) during the second quarter of game four of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Kaseya Center. Michael Laughlin-USA TODAY Sports
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are the Celtics’ only 2024 All-Stars, and they’ll have to play like it without Krisaps Porzingis if he misses a lot of time due to injury.

Overall, they’ve performed decently in the first round against the Heat. However, there’s still a lot of room for improvement, especially after Game 4.

On Monday night, the star duo went a combined 12-for-32 from the field. Brown also had six turnovers and has shot a ghastly 46.7% from the charity stripe through four postseason outings.

Miami’s major focus on defense has been to limit Tatum, so it makes sense that he’s been forced into more of a facilitator role thus far. With Porzingis no longer available as an outlet, the five-time All-Star will have to carry more of the scoring workload while also staying ready for the inevitable double teams the Heat send his way.

It’s a similar story for Brown, who’s the second-leading scorer for the Green Team. His cough-ups in Game 4 only gave Miami more life and it’ll be important for him to limit those. The Heat have been desperate for offense in the last two contests, and feeding them turnovers is a surefire way to get their offense clicking.

If the Celtics can close out Miami in five games, the future becomes a little uncertain since Porzingis’ availability is still up in the air. Regardless of his health and a potential second-round opponent, Tatum and Brown need to be better than they were in Game 4.

A backup big will have to step up for the Celtics

With Kristaps Porzingis likely sidelined with his injury for the rest of the first round, another center must step up.

Veteran Al Horford will probably start from now on, yet the 37-year-old needs rest and shouldn’t have to be on the court for more than 40 minutes a game.

Behind Horford is 7-foot-1 Luke Kornet, who’s played sparingly against Miami but managed four rebounds and a nice putback in Game 4. Next, is newly acquired center Xavier Tillman, who hasn’t played at all this series.

The former Memphis Grizzlies big isn’t unfamiliar with the playoffs, though. He’s defended Los Angeles Lakers center Anthony Davis before and done a solid job at it. With no Porzingis, perhaps Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla gives Tillman the chance to guard Heat star Bam Adebayo.

Lastly, the C’s upgraded center Neemias Queta’s two-way contract to a standard one just ahead of the postseason. That timely move will make him eligible to play despite the fact that he’s never entered a playoff game. The Lisbon, Portugal native is largely unproven, however, he could get an opportunity to shine on Wednesday.

Bench shooters will have a slimmer margin for error

From the stars to the backup big men, everyone will have to bring their A-games for the Celtics, and that includes the bench.

Without Porzingis, Miami knows the Celtics don’t really have a dominant post threat that they can feed in the paint. That could cause the Heat to double Tatum, Brown, and even Derrick White in order to force someone else to hit a shot.

In Game 1, bench shooters Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser did their job. They played decent defense and went a combined 6-for-11 from beyond the arc. Game 4 was a different story, as they were both scoreless and shot a brutal 0-for-6 from the field.

If the Heat dare them to shoot in Game 5, they need to be ready. Boston lost a significant source of scoring in Porzingis, and it’s going to have to find some points in unlikely places.