Kristaps Porzingis Faces Unexpected Bench Role—and Responds Like a Pro
Sometimes in sports, even a superstar has to adjust—and Kristaps Porzingis is learning that lesson firsthand. On Friday night, in a heart-stopping 134-133 loss to the Nuggets in Atlanta, Porzingis took the court for the Hawks not as a starter, but coming off the bench for the first time since 2017. And that’s only the beginning of the story.
After missing four games due to illness, the former Celtics center was finally cleared to play for the Hawks, who have been carefully managing his minutes. Head coach Quin Snyder decided to limit Porzingis to 20 minutes and slot him into a bench role instead of his usual starting position at center. And as Porzingis candidly admitted to reporters, this adjustment wasn’t his favorite thing. "Obviously, it’s not what I love, you know?" he said. "But I think it makes sense with limited minutes, and I will do whatever is best for the team. When I say that, I really mean it. My goal is to help this team win."
Porzingis certainly proved he can thrive in this new role. Despite the Hawks’ narrow defeat, he poured in 25 points off the bench, shooting an impressive 9-of-13—marking his third-best scoring game of the season. But this appearance was only his 13th game of the season since joining the Hawks in an offseason trade from Boston. Health setbacks have already cost him valuable playing time, although he stresses that these recent illnesses are unrelated to the challenges he faced during the final months of his Celtics tenure.
"I wouldn’t say it’s the same thing," Porzingis explained. "I just wasn’t feeling well, honestly. Not being healthy. But it’s not the same issues I had last season, which is good. I think I put that behind me over the summer playing for the national team. Still, catching whatever comes along is frustrating. I want to be healthy. And I will be healthy."
The Hawks, currently at 13-11, are navigating a three-game losing streak and sit just 1.5 games behind Porzingis’ former team, the Celtics. Fans will get the first chance to see Porzingis go head-to-head with Boston this season on January 17 in Atlanta—a matchup that promises plenty of drama.
But here’s where it gets controversial: should a player of Porzingis’ caliber accept a bench role so early in a new team’s season? Some argue it could boost his long-term health and effectiveness, while others might see it as an underutilization of his talent. What do you think? Would you handle it the same way if you were in his shoes?
Related stories you might find interesting:
- JJ Redick’s surprising take on the Celtics’ dominant win over the Lakers.
- How Boston Celtics’ underlying stats soared after the blowout.
- Austin Reaves believes a Celtics starter has the potential to become one of the league’s best defenders.
- Jaylen Brown shines as the Celtics’ standout player in Friday’s win over the Lakers.
Brian Robb has been covering the Celtics and the NBA for MassLive.com since 2010, with past reporting experience at NBA.com, Bleacher Report, and Boston.com. You can reach him at BRobb@masslive.com or on Twitter.
