Kristaps Porzingis, Celtics thinking short-term to benefit long-term: ‘we have to live that lifestyle’

BRIGHTON, MA — Kristaps Porzingis is impatient.

The new Boston Celtics big man entered Media Day with a grin stretching from ear to ear. His smile stayed glued to his face for the entire session, and his energy radiated throughout the press room.

Porzingis joins the Celtics after one-and-a-half seasons with the Washington Wizards, which followed some time with the Dallas Mavericks and New York Knicks. But this Boston team is different. And he wants to hit the ground running.

“Of course, you have to have patience, and we’re going to need a little bit of time just [for] everybody to be on the same page every practice, every game,” Porzingis said after Tuesday’s practice. “But I’m impatient in that sense. I want things to be working right away, and be very self-critical of myself and how I can do things better. Do what the coaches want me to do and the little things that I can get better at. [I’m] very critical and impatient myself, but patient with the process.”

Fresh off his best season in years, Porzingis will be looking to capitalize on his success with the Wizards. He posted 23.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game while shooting 49.8% from the floor and 38.5% from distance.

His usage will undoubtedly drop on a Celtics team that also boasts Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and now Jrue Holiday, but that could open up new doors for Porzingis.

In Washington last season, Porzingis worked out of the post a lot, and on a Celtics team that, at times, fell flat in the half court last season, adding a new-look scoring option could provide an extra dimension.

“When I was in Dallas, I looked at my numbers, my post-ups, the situations I was in and analyzed, and I had like a reality check,” said Porzingis. “And realized that I needed to get better. I need to get better to be able to use that part of my game at a good level. And that’s what I did.”

With all the weapons around him in Boston, Porzingis’ post-up game could open up a world of possibilities for a Celtics team looking to build on their offensive success from last year.

“Last season was a good example of doing the things I needed to do,” Porzingis said. “And then, as the year went on, I think I got more and more effective. So, I look forward to replicating that here and being able to open things up for my teammates.”

As Porzingis looks to make his presence felt in Boston, he’ll have to do so on both ends of the court. His offensive game will certainly create new opportunities for the Celtics, but with the personnel that departed this summer, his defensive game will be just as, if not more important.

It’s unclear who will start for Boston to begin the year, though head coach Joe Mazzulla did state after practice that it could change depending on the matchup, but Porzingis will have to wear a few different hats.

His defensive role will vary depending on whether he’s playing the 4 or 5, and he will have to adapt to those changes throughout the year.

“You need to know how to play every position defensively almost,” said Porzingis. “There’s going to be switches. There’s going to be mismatches. I have to be able to [be] put in any situation and be able to understand what we need to do.”

Porzingis’ arrival in Boston, along with Holiday’s, put this Celtics roster on a new pedestal. If the expectations heading into last season were sky-high, Boston is currently landing on the moon.

With multiple core pieces getting shipped out and the team taking on a huge salary burden in tandem, it’s Banner 18 or bust in Boston. That’s what the moves have depicted, and that’s what the mentality is.

But they can’t bring home the Larry O’Brien tomorrow. Or the next day. And while the team’s goal is clear, they’re taking a short-term mindset on the way there.

“Very motivating, very exciting, of course,” Porzingis said of playing for a team with title hopes. “And also a big responsibility. We all understand what our goal is, but we don’t want to only have that in our minds.

“As coach said yesterday in the first meeting, we have to live that lifestyle. We have to live that life day-to-day. We have to put in the work, and then, in the end, if we put in the work, we will achieve the results. But it has to be like a daily focus. Not always keeping only that big goal in our minds. We’re keeping that in mind.”