One year later, the Kristaps Porzingis trade is an all-timer for Celtics

Jon Lyons and Chris Scheim were on WEEI on Sunday, which was the one-year anniversary of the trade that brought Kristaps Porzingis to Boston. The guys discussed the impact of the trade and how it subsequently helped get Jrue Holiday. Both agreed that the trade was a gutsy, but completely correct, move by Brad Stevens.

“They don’t win a championship this year (without the trade),” Scheim said. “I think Marcus Smart was one of the major reasons this team was held back from winning. I think he stunted the growth of Tatum and Brown emotionally as leaders and as players because he felt like he was the alpha. … Him departing allowed Tatum and Brown to blossom.”

Added Lyons: “First of all, Porzingis is just a flat-out better basketball player than Smart and a better fit. He (Porzingis) is seventh in the NBA in points per possession on post-up offense, allowed 57% shooting on shots within five feet of the rim, which was third-best in the NBA of guys who faced at least 500 shots. Not to mention, he (Porzingis) shot 37.5% from three. He’s one of the most unique players in the entire NBA. Also, if Smart is still here, maybe Derrick White doesn’t get the playoff time he got this year.”

Listen to the discussion starting at the 18:45 mark above!