Celtics Announce Kristaps Porzingis News Before Heat Game
After going 6-0 on their recent road trip, the Boston Celtics will return home and take on the Miami Heat on Wednesday. This will mark the fourth and final time both teams will meet up this season, with the Celtics having won each of their three previous matchups. With only a handful of games remaining on the schedule, the Celtics are just four games behind the No. 1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers. Though it seems unlikely they will jump the Cavaliers in the standings this late in the season, it is still important for Boston to gain as much momentum as possible heading into their title defense. Ahead of their game against Miami, the Celtics made an announcement regarding Kristaps Porzingis that will be important to monitor until game time.
After missing a big portion of March due to an illness, Porzingis has appeared in seven of the last eight games for the Celtics. Though he has been healthy and available for the Celtics recently, he has popped up on the team’s injury report and is listed as questionable.
Now in his second season in Boston, Porzingis is continuing to prove how valuable he is to the team’s success. This season, the Latvian native is averaging 19.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.6 blocks per game. When healthy, Porzingis is a major game-changer for the Celtics, and the team will rely on him heavily as they look to repeat as champions.
Report: Goran Dragic expected to be a part of the Heat organization next season
When folks think back to Goran Dragic’s long and successful NBA career, his stint with the Miami Heat might be the first thing that comes to mind. Dragic spent more time with Miami than any other team in the league, as he suited up in 391 regular-season games with the franchise.
Additionally, his only All-Star nod of his career came during his stint with the Heat. He earned a selection in the 2017-18 campaign and averaged 17.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game across 75 contests (all starts) that season.
Years removed from Dragic’s Heat tenure, it seems that he will soon rejoin the Heat organization. Specifically, the expectation is that he’ll be with Miami next season.
“I know it’s an easy comparison to make here, but I saw some Dragic in him,” Heat insider Ethan Skolnick said of Pelle Larsson. “And we talked to him about that, and he talked about how Goran had basically greeted him, went to one of his games. And obviously, Goran’s been around the organization a lot lately, and I expect him to be part of the organization next year. I think that’s the way that this is trending. And also, I talked to Goran last year, and he said he wanted one year to kind of get his life where he wanted it, and then probably want to be with the Heat organization. You see him everywhere now — he’s doing community events and all that.”
Dragic was dealt from the Phoenix Suns to the Heat back in February of 2015. In order to acquire the Slovenia native, Miami parted ways with four players and a pair of draft picks.
The 38-year-old had a penchant for upping his game from a scoring standpoint for Miami when the playoffs rolled around, not unlike what Jimmy Butler did during his time with the Heat. Dragic averaged 17.8 points per game for his playoff career with the Heat and was arguably Miami’s second-best offensive player behind Butler in the team’s run to the NBA Finals in 2020.
He averaged the second-most points per game of any player on the team across 17 games played in the 2020 NBA Playoffs at 19.1. He did that on solid efficiency, as he shot 44.4 percent from the field and 34.6 percent from 3-point range.
The Heat lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games in that year’s championship series, but perhaps the final outcome would have been different if Miami had a healthy Dragic for the entirety of the best-of-seven series. Dragic played in only two of the six games in the series and averaged just 17 minutes of playing time with the lights at their brightest
After Dragic enjoyed such a successful and memorable career in Miami, fans of the Heat should be excited by the report that he will make his return to the franchise in the near future.
Tyler Herro is unlocking the Heat’s offense with this key skill
The Miami Heat blew out the Washington Wizards, 120-94, Monday night at Capital One Arena. Here are three observations.
1. Tyler Herro’s gravity
Herro has been one of the league’s best 3-point shooters this season. Only five players have made more 3s than Herro, whose shooting fueled his first All-Star nod. Opponents have taken notice.
Since the All-Star break, teams have put their top perimeter defender on Herro to try to chase him off the line. Herro has countered by getting to the paint more. Coach Erik Spoelstra has praised his work off the ball. By learning how to use his new-found gravity, Herro can make a dramatic difference for his teammates.
Here, we see how Herro’s presence above the 3-point line jumbles Washington’s decision-making. Pelle Larsson goes to set a down screen and Herro relocates to the top of the arc. Both Wizards defenders lunge at Herro, and Larsson makes a timely cut to the rim.
Herro, without touching the ball, helped Larsson get a wide-open dunk.
Since the All-Star break, teams have put their top perimeter defender on Herro to try to chase him off the line. Herro has countered by getting to the paint more. Coach Erik Spoelstra has praised his work off the ball. By learning how to use his new-found gravity, Herro can make a dramatic difference for his teammates.
Here, we see how Herro’s presence above the 3-point line jumbles Washington’s decision-making. Pelle Larsson goes to set a down screen and Herro relocates to the top of the arc. Both Wizards defenders lunge at Herro, and Larsson makes a timely cut to the rim
