Kristaps Porzingis Holds No “Bad Will,” Towards Mavericks – Basketball Insiders

One of the biggest stories coming into this year’s NBA Finals is Kristaps Porzingis playing with his former team, the Dallas Mavericks. However, the famous star does not want the organization that hired him.

“Not everything was as it seemed,” Porzingis said. “We had some good times. We had some good moments, but overall it didn’t work out for both sides. It wasn’t perfect. But I can say everything – my teammates, the locker room – I know at the time there were rumors that there was something in the locker room. It wasn’t like that. It was just noise in the end.

“It was not good at all for us to play together, it was okay. And that’s it. There is no bad intention, I don’t think on their part. Definitely, [there is not] from my side. I don’t think there should be. It didn’t work out, but I have nothing but love for Dallas and my teammates and everyone there.”

Since tearing his meniscus in the 2020 playoffs, Kristaps Porzingis has had a more limited role than he’s used to in his career. However, for the Celtics, it was unquestionable that he was the one who wasn’t there.

Kristaps Porzingis Talks About Time Spent With Dallas Mavericks

Kristaps Porzingis’ season with the Boston Celtics

Porzingis had a solid first year with the Boston Celtics. This season, he averaged 20.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, and 2.0 assists per game. On top of that, the one-time All-Star is shooting 37.5 percent from three-point range to go along with 51.6 percent, which is the career best in the division. It’s safe to say that Kristaps Porzingis did a great job fitting in a starting rotation that included stars like Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday, and Jaylen Brown during his Celtics debut.

Boston’s Odds in the NBA Finals

The Boston Celtics enter the NBA Finals as favorites at -225 odds per FanDuel. However, they cannot underestimate the Dallas Mavericks. Luka Doncic is arguably the best player in the world right now. Not to mention that the former Boston Celtic, Kyrie Irving, comes in with a chip on his shoulder. One could also make the argument that the Mavericks have been very battle tested this postseason. With Kristaps Porzingis set to make his first game after being sidelined for most of the playoffs, it’s important for Boston to set the tone early in this series.