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[Saba Sports News] The Boston Celtics’ offseason acquisition of Kristaps Porzingis has Jayson Tatum believing it could be as transformative as a historic NBA trade. In an ESPN article by Ramona Shelburne, which explores Porzingis’s impact on the Celtics, Tatum’s excitement about playing alongside Porzingis is highlighted. He even compares Porzingis’s potential impact on the Celtics to that of Pau Gasol’s on the Los Angeles Lakers following his 2008 trade, which was instrumental in securing two NBA championships.
Tatum sees Porzingis as the essential element the Celtics needed, similar to how Kobe Bryant benefited from Gasol’s arrival. The Celtics, featuring the dynamic duo of Tatum and Jaylen Brown, gain a new dimension with Porzingis’s height and skills, complementing Brown’s abilities and potentially filling a crucial gap in the team’s lineup.
While the trade for Porzingis sparked debate, primarily due to the assets Boston relinquished, the early returns have been promising. Porzingis has contributed significantly, averaging 19.4 points per game for a Celtics team with a strong 37-11 record, suggesting that the gamble may indeed pay similar dividends as the Lakers’ successful pairing of Bryant and Gasol.