Kristaps Porzingis Seems Genuinely Thrilled To Play For Celtics

Some players are blowing smoke up your you-know-what when they talk about how much they love playing for a new team. But that doesn’t appear to be the case with Kristaps Porzingis, who’s been a great fit with the Celtics since arriving in Boston last summer.

Following Wednesday’s blowout home win over the Brooklyn Nets, Porzingis was asked for his updated thoughts on playing for the Celtics, who entered the All-Star break with the NBA’s best record.

“Of course, coming in, I understood … we’re a championship-caliber team,” Porzingis told reporters, as seen on NBC Sports Boston’s postgame coverage. “And what is expected is to win, or the goal is to win. And coming here, there are things that are being done differently and of a much higher standard than on other teams that I’ve been on. And I think, from the top down, it’s just a really high-level organization.

“And us, as players, we feel that and we know that we have to show up each and every night. There’s many small things that I can point out. But overall … as somebody said earlier, I haven’t stopped smiling being here. I just enjoy being here so much. And to be in this kind of organization, playing for these kinds of fans — it’s unreal.”

Porzingis, who scored 15 points in 16 minutes against the Nets, was one of Boston’s best players in the first half. The 28-year-old missed a decent chunk of games due to injuries, which is concerning, but he nevertheless averaged 20.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.9 blocks in 40 games.

Now, Porzingis will receive some much-needed rest before the Celtics return next Thursday for a road matchup against the Chicago Bulls.