Celtics Finals Media Day notebook: Kristaps Porzingis is officially in and everyone is happy to be here

TD Backyard — Effectively, that was wild. Practically each Celtics and Mavericks participant spoke to the media as reporters from around the globe swarmed TD Backyard on the day earlier than Recreation 1 of the Finals.

We watched snippets of the Celtics follow – albeit not a lot – in addition to the tail-end of the Mavericks’. There was a palpable pleasure within the air, a definite feeling in TD Backyard that made it apparent the NBA Finals have been across the nook.

Listed here are 5 issues it is advisable to know from NBA Finals Media Day.

Kristaps Porzingis is formally AVAILABLE for Recreation 1

First, most objectively essential: Kristaps Porzingis is offered to play.

“​​I’ll play tomorrow,” Kristaps Porzingis confirmed to a big swath of reporters that swarmed the rostrum he was at.

However will he be himself?

“It’s powerful to say. I haven’t performed. I haven’t performed for some time. Tomorrow might be my actual, like, first actual minutes shortly, ? I did as a lot as I might to arrange for this second, however there’s nothing like recreation minutes and recreation expertise that I’m going to get tomorrow. It will likely be powerful to leap into the Finals like this. I did the whole lot I might to arrange for it and we’ll see tomorrow night time.”

The Celtics confirmed Kristaps Porzingis’s assertion shortly after – no gamers are listed on the staff’s official damage report.

It’s going to be actually exhausting to protect Luka and Kyrie

Vacation was requested about what he can do to attempt to cease Kyrie Irving, and his first reply was a joking one:

“Pray.”

Then, he famous that familiarity with Irving’s recreation will assist, however echoed Mazzulla’s sentiment from earlier within the week that there’s actually no solution to ‘cease’ the Mavericks’ elite back-court.

“Simply I feel realizing one another’s recreation, doing all of your finest to remain in entrance of him, attempting to remove the issues that can in all probability harm you essentially the most,” Vacation mentioned. “Most likely most of all having assist. Him having the ability to see a number of guys on the court docket, making it appear to be it’s crowded, making photographs as powerful as doable, although he’s a troublesome shot-maker, so…” He trailed off.

Jaylen Brown has studied earlier failures to be prepared for this chance

Jaylen Brown has maintained that although he’s mirrored on his particular person development for the reason that final time the Celtics have been within the Finals, the groups themselves are utterly totally different.

“We bought a distinct staff,” Brown mentioned. “We bought a distinct coach, too, as nicely. We had Ime Udoka; now we’ve got Joe Mazzulla. We had Marcus Sensible, Rob Williams; we’ve got Jrue Vacation, Kristaps Porzingis. Totally different staff, totally different coach two years later makes a fairly large distinction.”

Nonetheless, he’s gone again and watched the footage of each collection that ended his final two seasons.

“I’ve watched it [2022 Finals] a number of instances now, perhaps 4 or 5 instances,” Brown mentioned. “In addition to final yr’s convention finals. I feel you may all the time be taught from something actually. However simply having the ability to watch these moments and be taught from them, easy methods to handle your feelings, like, what you’d have did in a different way probably. I don’t suppose that’s dangerous to have a look at and acknowledge and pay attention to.”

Joe Mazzulla displays on Jayson Tatum as a franchise participant: ‘There’s nobody like him’

Joe Mazzulla has heaped loads of his reward on his superstars this yr, and tends to reference their off-court character, too. On the eve of the NBA Finals, he solely strengthened that.

“Your franchise participant needs to be a cornerstone of what you do,” Mazzulla mentioned. “It begins together with his excessive character, the way in which he carries himself, who he’s as a dad, who he’s as a teammate. His availability. He’s there for each single follow, each single recreation. Loves being coached. Simply carries himself the easiest way. There’s nobody like him. He’s nice.”

Tatum has mirrored fairly a bit over this 9-day break on his development for the reason that ‘22 Finals, and his coach references that development at present.

“He’s been by way of success, we’ve been by way of failures, we’ve gained, misplaced, had ache, triumph,” Mazzulla mentioned. “You employ the belongings you’ve been by way of each single yr to make your self higher on and off the court docket. That’s form of the place we’re all at as a staff, utilizing these items and bads to make use of us for the place we’re proper now.

Jayson Tatum (and the remainder of the Celtics) live within the second

It’s all the time been championship or bust for the 2024 Boston Celtics. However everybody expressed a honest pleasure to have the possibility to compete for a championship on the brightest stage.

“I don’t take into consideration the long run or what this may occasionally imply for me down the street,” Jayson Tatum mentioned. “So simple as it sounds, simply attempt to keep current, keep within the second, take pleasure in it, proper? Maintain speaking about strain, strain, strain… It’s the NBA Finals. This s— is meant to be enjoyable. That’s form of the place I’m at with it.”

“I’m within the NBA Finals. I’ve a second alternative to win a championship. I need to take pleasure in it. I need to benefit from the second, take pleasure in it with my teammates and my household. In order that’s the place my slender focus is at, is about competing at a excessive stage, lastly attending to play tomorrow, simply having enjoyable. Simply going on the market and doing what I like to do.”

Bonus Content material: We didn’t get to see a lot of follow, however we did see that NBA gamers stretch and heat up identical to common individuals.

Aside from Luke Kornet.