Thorpe Theory

Our new series debuts with a closer look at Final Four hopefuls

BY DAVID THORPE

Kristaps Porziņģis is bringing the pain in Boston. GREG FIUME/GETTY IMAGES

The Celtics are rolling with two new starters. The Nuggets are making an inexperienced bench work. The Pelicans are … playing defense? Ivica Zubac might love playing with James Harden. Moses Moody is a “laser,” and Luka Dončić is solving the Mavericks’ rebounding crisis.

Are these actions meaningful—and can they become trends? Or are they merely random plays in the nascent days of a new season? 

Each month this season, I will be welcoming TrueHoopers into my film room. Our first installment comes after an exciting opening week.

Let’s dive into some clips, and I’ll give you my theories …

Kristaps Porziņģis is a Boston bully

Forget, for a moment, that Kristaps Porziņģis has long been known as a shooter, and is enjoying his finest 3-point shooting season ever. Instead, let’s focus on old-fashioned field goal percentage, a pretty old-school measure that really only mattered when the game was about bullying people in the paint.

Porziņģis has made 45 percent of his field goals over his decade-long career. In Boston, he’s making 58 percent.

Thorpe Theory: The Celtics coaching staff have inspired KP to find ways to earn points inside and challenged the team to look for him early and late in possessions. Early success will only bolster their eagerness to explore this new dimension to their offense—one that translates beautifully into the postseason because random post-ups like these are tough to scout and stop.