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

TD Backyard — Effectively, that was wild. Almost 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 below are 5 issues you could know from NBA Finals Media Day.

Kristaps Porzingis is formally AVAILABLE for Recreation 1

First, most objectively essential: Kristaps Porzingis is out there 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 robust to say. I haven’t performed. I haven’t performed for some time. Tomorrow shall be my actual, like, first actual minutes shortly, you understand? I did as a lot as I may to organize for this second, however there’s nothing like sport minutes and sport expertise that I’m going to get tomorrow. Will probably be robust to leap into the Finals like this. I did all the pieces I may to organize for it and we’ll see tomorrow evening.”

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

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

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

“Pray.”

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

“Simply I feel figuring out one another’s sport, doing all your finest to remain in entrance of him, making an attempt to remove the issues that can in all probability harm you probably the most,” Vacation mentioned. “In all probability most of all having assist. Him with the ability to see a number of guys on the courtroom, making it appear like it’s crowded, making pictures as robust as potential, though he’s a tricky 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 progress because the final time the Celtics have been within the Finals, the groups themselves are utterly completely different.

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

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

“I’ve watched it [2022 Finals] just a few occasions now, perhaps 4 or 5 occasions,” Brown mentioned. “In addition to final 12 months’s convention finals. I feel you may at all times study from something actually. However simply with the ability to watch these moments and study from them, the way to handle your feelings, like, what you’ll have did in a different way doubtlessly. I don’t assume 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 12 months, and tends to reference their off-court character, too. On the eve of the NBA Finals, he solely bolstered that.

“Your franchise participant must be a cornerstone of what you do,” Mazzulla mentioned. “It begins along with his excessive character, the best way 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 sport. Loves being coached. Simply carries himself one of the simplest ways. There’s nobody like him. He’s nice.”

Tatum has mirrored fairly a bit over this 9-day break on his progress because the ‘22 Finals, and his coach references that progress right this moment.

“He’s been by way of success, we’ve been by way of failures, we’ve received, misplaced, had ache, triumph,” Mazzulla mentioned. “You employ the belongings you’ve been by way of each single 12 months to make your self higher on and off the courtroom. That’s form of the place we’re all at as a workforce, 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) reside within the second

It’s at all times 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 will likely 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? Hold speaking about stress, stress, stress… 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 similar to common individuals.

Apart from Luke Kornet.