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Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis Offers Curious Comments Following Playoff Exit
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The Boston Celtics were unable to defend their title from last season, falling to the New York Knicks in six games after a 119-81 loss. Without Jayson Tatum, the Celtics struggled mightily after what now seems like a one-off game where they pulled out a Game 5 victory without him.

One player who elevated the team last year, but struggled to do the same in this year's playoff run was Kristaps Porzingis. There have been rumors that he was dealing with an illness during the playoffs, but it isn't certain why he underperformed.

More Celtics news: Celtics' Jaylen Brown Hints at Playing Knicks With Injury

After the loss, he provided interesting comments that can be interpreted in a variety of ways in a postgame press conference.

“It's been unbelievable, honestly. Purely look from my own perspective, it's been up and down — tough moments, even last year. But then the big objective that we're going for, we achieved it. And nothing sweeter than that, right?”

“To try to do it again this year was a big challenge. And myself also coming back from injury again into the season that had the surgery, it's not the easiest thing to do, and just some bumps on the road all the time, but at the end, what it does is just fortifies your mind. And I always take it that way. And this, again, was a tough challenge for me, personally.”

Porzingis is in an awkward spot with the Celtics heading into the offseason, and that is further emphasized with these comments.

The Celtics have new ownership coming in, and if the team feels the need to move some players to save money, Porzingis may be the first player to go.

At his best, he was a game-changer and was a big reason the team won the title last year. However, at his worst, he is borderline unplayable and is nowhere near worth the money he is making. In a year that could turn in to a transition season for the franchise due to the Tatum being out for most of it, if not all of it, that makes Porzingis more expendable than ever.

More Celtics news: Celtics' Jaylen Brown Shockingly Fouls Out of Must-Win Game 6 vs Knicks

Reading between the lines of these comments, he may seem to realize that, because the comments feel a bit retrospective. His tenure in Boston isn't over, but it very well could be soon.

On the bright side, the difficulties he has gone through during his two years in Boston seem to have made him mentally stronger. That means that Porzingis could come back next season better than ever, which could mean sticking around in Boston longer, being traded at the deadline, or already being on a new team before that return to form occurs.

More Boston Celtics news: Celtics Sale Has Obtained Full Funding, Dates Revealed

Jayson Tatum’s Dad Reveals Possible Timeline for Achilles Injury Recovery

For more news and notes on the Boston Celtics, visit Boston Celtics on SI.


This article first appeared on Boston Celtics on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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