Everything Joe Mazzulla said about Kristaps Porzingis’ return to the Celtics

On By Littum

What will Kristaps Porzingis’ workload look like when he takes the court for the first time this season? Joe Mazzulla wouldn’t say.

But he expects the 7-foot-2 center to make an immediate impact for the Celtics.

“I don’t really know about the minutes,” Mazzulla said before Monday night’s matchup with the Los Angeles Clippers at TD Garden. “He’s been working hard. He’s in good shape. We’re going to put him in a position to be healthy and successful and do what’s best for the team, and I think that’s pretty consistent just based on his work ethic and what he’s done to get to this point.”

Mazzulla said he knew for “probably a week or so” that Porzingis would make his season debut against the Clippers after undergoing offseason leg surgery and sitting out Boston’s first 17 games. He anticipates an “adjustment period” as opponents determine the best methods to guard Porzingis, who returns to a Celtics offense that has attempted nearly 100 more 3-pointers than any other NBA club.

Defensively, Boston will benefit from Porzingis’ versatility and rim protection.

“With him, you’re able to play differently,” Mazzulla said. “You’re able to switch less, keep your matchups a little bit different. We haven’t had as much versatility with him out, so we’ll look to have a little bit more versatility. I expect him to start making an impact on that tonight.”

No other Celtics player can replicate Porzingis’ skills on both ends of the floor, but Boston won 14 of its first 17 games without him — after going 31-6 in games the big man missed last season. Mazzulla was asked if the Celtics were considering playing slow on his return, which wasn’t expected to come until December at the earliest.

“I just listen to when they tell me he’s ready to play,” Mazzulla replied.

Mazzulla would not say whether Porzingis would have a specific minutes restriction against the Clippers. His top two backups, Al Horford (illness) and Luke Kornet (hamstring), were both ruled out for Monday’s game, leaving Xavier Tillman and Neemias Queta as the only other bigs on Boston’s depth chart.

“We’re going to do what’s best for him and do what’s best for the team,” Mazzulla said.

That included inserting Porzingis back into the starting lineup for the first time in 32 games dating back to last postseason. Monday marked the first time Boston’s favored top five of Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Porzingis started a game together since Game 4 of the Celtics’ first-round playoff series against Miami.

They went 27-5 in the interim.

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