One NBA insider believes that Kristaps Porzingis is giving Atlanta Hawks good reason to be optimistic.
Kristaps Porzingis will begin a new journey with yet another NBA team next season, marking his fifth NBA side since joining the league in 2015.
Earlier this summer, Porzingis was traded to the Atlanta Hawks, as the Boston Celtics made an effort to clear their books of his $30 million salary.
Porzingis himself was surprised by the trade to the Hawks, as he expected to land elsewhere. In fact, Porzingis admitted he thought he would join the Spurs.
But before he dons the Hawks jersey, Porzingis had to play for Latvia at the EuroBasket tournament. And what he showed in his final game before elimination will be a welcome sign for fans in the ATL.
Photo by Stefanos Kyriazis/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesKristaps Porzingis shows off renewed athleticism ahead of Atlanta Hawks debut
NBA insider Adam Mares spoke to Marc Stein recently about the EuroBasket tournament. When discussing Kristaps Porzingis and Latvia, Mares expressed optimism about his upcoming Hawks stint.
Despite the loss to Lithuania, Porzingis looked really good, putting up 34 points and 19 rebounds. But it was his athleticism and energy that made Mares think he will do well with the Hawks next season.
“Kristaps Porzingis got 34 points and 19 rebounds. He was actually very impressive.
“I was worried. He had a weird season, and he had some weird games early on in this one, but he was really good in that game.
“He had a crazy put-back dunk where he shot it from the foul line, missed it, and ran in and grabbed it with one hand and put it back contested.
“To me it was a good sign for Atlanta Hawks fans because he looked athletic and confident in that game.”
Kristaps Porzingis is a massive upgrade at center for Atlanta Hawks
Landing Kristaps Porzingis was a huge move for the Atlanta Hawks. The front office presumably knew that the aging Clint Capela would leave in free agency.
And as such, they made the move to land Porzingis days before free agency would begin, securing their starting center for the new season.
The Hawks are looking to contend next season, after seeing the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, and Indiana Pacers all lose their status as contenders in the Eastern Conference.
With Porzingis, a former All-Star center who can play on both ends of the court and has won a championship recently, they have perhaps the best player in that position across the conference.