Heading into training camp: Which C’s players will face Porzingis without them?

Ramp to Camp: Which C’s Players Need to Step Up Without Porzingis? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics’ demolition tour didn’t go smoothly last season while Kristaps Porzingis was sidelined. The Celtics posted a 21-4 record (.840 winning percentage) without their 7-foot-2 big man during the regular season and were 10-2 overall (.833) in the playoffs.

Still, the Celtics were undeniably more dynamic when Porzingis was available, and he routinely made life easier on both ends of the court. With Porzingis sidelined to start the 2024-25 season, the Celtics will once again be challenged to maintain the level of success they showed without him a year ago.

When Porzingis underwent leg surgery in late June, the Celtics suggested he would be ready to play in five to six months. That would put him back sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas. There also seems little reason to step on the gas pedal, especially if the most important thing for Porzingis is to be healthy for another five to six months, or if the playoffs are in full swing in May and June.

For the 10th episode of our Slope to camp series, we asked our NBC Sports Boston panel to pick the player who should increase his overall output without Porzingis on the court.

(Watch the first nine episodes of Ramp to Camp here.)

The natural inclination is to suggest that the onus falls on Boston’s backup bigs. Al Horford will likely be promoted to the starting lineup (at least if he’s not rested during back-to-back scenarios), while Luke Kornet and Neemias Queta can expect to see more reps.

But filling Porzingis’ void goes deeper than just the center position. The Celtics need to improve their rebounding as a team, and they can’t match his size on defense. Filling Porzingis’ void will have to be a group effort, as last season’s numbers suggest everyone in the core group saw their scoring stats increase a bit in his absence.

Here’s a number that jumped off the page when looking at Boston’s Porzingis-free regular-season stats last year: Sam Hauser was a team-best +229 during the 25 games without Porzingis. The closest was Jayson Tatum at +179. Both are plus/minus maestros regardless of personnel, but it was still shocking to see just how impactful Hauser was over that span.

Hauser’s overall stats without Porzingis: 10.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game while making 43.5 percent of three-pointers. Hauser played the fifth-most minutes (629) without KP, trailing only the other four starters (Tatum, Derrick White, Jrue Holiday and Jaylen Brown).

It should also be noted that Horford was insanely efficient in the 19 games he played without Porzingis. Horford produced 11.6 points per game while shooting a team-best 45.6 percent from beyond the arc in 30.3 minutes per game.

It will be a team effort to thrive without Boston’s unicorn, and the big men — from Horford to Kornet to Queta — will certainly have to shoulder a greater workload. But bench players like Hauser and Payton Pritchard who embraced the time advantage have kept Boston afloat in those moments.

These are the people our panel believes should take the lead:

Let’s keep it simple: Luke Kornet. He was a 36 percent 3-point shooter on legitimate volume his first two years in the league. Maybe he can take two this year instead of one?

Tom Giles, Multi-platform host

I’m going to stick with a big guy and go with Neemias Queta, he’s shown steady improvement and I think he’ll give them some big minutes early in the season.

Max Lederman, Multi-platform producer

Jayson Tatum averaged 28.8 points per game on a 61.4 true shooting percentage without Porzingis in the lineup last regular season, compared to 26 points on 59.9 percent true shooting with him. That said, I think JT will carry a heavier load in other areas with KP starting the season, so Jaylen Brown should see a bigger increase in scoring.

Mark Hazlett, Multi-Platform Producer

I’m going to stick with my Sixth Man of the Year: Payton Pritchard. This will truly be the first time in his career that he enters the season with a defined role and I think he’ll flourish.

Derrick White. White was the Celtics’ third-leading scorer (16.2 points per game) during the 10-game stretch Porzingis missed last season — and that’s without even mentioning White’s 38-point outburst in Game 4 against the Heat while Porzingis was injured. The Celtics’ unsung hero always gives the team what it needs, and in this case, it’s going to be a scoring boost.

Jaylen Brown. There’s no reason the reigning Finals MVP can’t get back to 26 or 27 points per game. Last season, he averaged 23 points per game, which wasn’t a surprise given the additions of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis. But Brown will be on a mission this season, and there’s still room to improve with his 3-point percentage.

I also want Brown to step up as a rebounder. Without Porzingis, Brown should be able to get eight rebounds per game (his career high in a season is 6.9 per game).

I see Jrue Holiday becoming more of a factor on offense. The two-time NBA champion’s 12.5 points per game last season marked his lowest since his rookie year (2009-10). He didn’t have to be a scorer with Porzingis, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown doing most of the damage.

With Porzingis out, Holiday will remind the NBA world that he’s more than just a defensive star.

Kevin Miller, VP, Content

Jayson Tatum. I think this could be the season where he averages 10+ rebounds per game. JT’s defensive rebounding is already strong (best on the team) and that will increase without KP’s 5.5 defensive rebounds per game.

I also think Tatum can still grab an offensive rebound or two a game. Porzingis was a crafty role in that and someone has to step up to the plate.