Perfect Timing? Celtics’ Kristaps Porzingis Feels He Hasn’t Peaked

BRIGHTON, Mass. — Kristaps Porzingis was introduced by the Boston Celtics on Thursday and the 27-year-old said he was very excited to join the “iconic franchise.”

Entering his eighth NBA season, Porzingis is coming off his best season and believes he’s entering his best years as a basketball player.

“I think these are the best years for basketball players either physically and mentally, getting to a different level,” Porzingis explained at his introductory press conference Thursday. “I think the work paid off for me and I looked at my game, on how I could be more efficient and just really analyze it based on last season and all the hard work that I put in off the court to stay healthy. … I believe I have some great high-level years ahead of me.”

Porzingis touched more deeply on his mental health and game as he gets older.

“I think these are the best years for basketball players either physically and mentally.”

Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis

“I think it just comes with experience,” Porzingis said. “… You’re always evolving as a basketball player. So, I’ll probably be a much better player by 30 than I am now. I’m looking forward to keeping that growth and keep getting better as a basketball player.”

When Porzingis entered the league in 2015 as a member of the New York Knicks, he was thrown into the spotlight. It was something he didn’t realize he missed until now.

“(New York) was one of the biggest stages, if not the biggest,” Porzingis said. “I had to learn a lot quickly. It really prepared me for anything in the league and now I’m getting traded to Boston.

“It kind of made me realize how much I missed being on a big stage. Dallas was great, of course, and Washington was too, but this is a different level of excitement and how good this team is — all of that. I think New York helped me tremendously grow up and be prepared for almost any situation that you can be in.”