Poor timing does not deter prospective Celtics signees from their motivation
The Celtics’ players are pushing for Blake Griffin to rejoin the squad in order to cover the open slot on the roster.
With a chance to make it to 50 victories in 65 games, the Boston Celtics take on the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night. Additionally, they have a 4.5-game lead over the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are in second place, and are comfortably atop the NBA rankings.
Their main priority is preparing for the playoffs, especially after losing back-to-back games to the Denver Nuggets and Cleveland Cavaliers raised doubts about their ability to perform well in crucial situations.
When Boston gained even more possession in the clutch—which is defined as the last five minutes of a game within five points—in Saturday’s 117-107 victory over the Phoenix Suns, it deserves praise for going back to a more proactive and team-oriented strategy.
However, the Celtics also have a roster place available. really though Blake Griffin’s return is not a top priority and does not really represent a void that has to be filled, team members have pushed for his return.
Although Otto Porter Jr. doesn’t have the same familiarity with the group as Griffin, the former Georgetown Hoya is a high-IQ player who helped the Golden State Warriors beat Boston in the 2022 NBA Finals. He is also no longer under contract after the Utah Jazz waived him on Monday, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic. Adding a 13-year veteran who’s loved in the locker room and can contribute by helping think through a game and a playoff series is about as much value as a franchise will find among those available in March who could aid their championship chase.
Despite being frequently mentioned by Inside The Celtics as a compelling buyout target for the team, the 30-year-old forward is not allowed to compete in the playoffs because Utah parted ways with him on March 1.
Maybe Boston isn’t discouraged by that. Porter, who has played in just 23 games since moving to Toronto in the summer of 2022, is more likely to investigate a playoff matchup only in the event that Joe Mazzulla was sitting players. He can also bring value by using his intelligence.
Though he hasn’t played since December, it’s unfortunate that the Jazz waited until now to take this action, depriving him of the opportunity to demonstrate that he could be a valuable player on the floor for a playoff team.
The fundamental reason the Celtics would be interested in bringing him on board is unaffected by his ill-timed availability to join their quest for Banner 18.
