BOSTON – Less than five minutes into Sunday’s preseason opener, Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis faced their first test as a rim-protecting tandem.
Philadelphia's Tobias Harris was on the attack in transition, and the only objects that stood between him and the basket were Boston’s backpedaling big men. For a moment, it looked as if Harris had them beat, as he split the gap just past the free-throw line and burst toward the basket. However, just as Harris snuck past them, Horford and Porzingis turned in unison, tracked Harris down, and simultaneously stuffed him at the rim (Porzingis was credited with the block).
The in-sync nature of the play was somewhat of a microcosm of the previous few weeks Horford and Porzingis spent together. The two of them showed up at the Auerbach Center well before the start of training camp and spent that time getting to know each other and getting on the same page.
As a result, they entered the preseason already feeling a strong level of comfort, which should only grow as time goes on.
“I feel like the fact that we were both in here early in September really helped us get into a nice start,” Horford said following Friday’s practice in Boston. “Obviously we have a ways to go, continuing to develop the chemistry, but I feel pretty good with where we’re at.”
Horford already has the advantage of knowing Boston’s system and what they’re looking to do on both ends of the floor, so he’s helping Porzingis come along in that aspect. It’s particularly important for the two of them to be on the same page defensively, where they’ll serve as Boston’s back line.
So far, Horford is impressed.
“I feel like he’s really doing a good job with the attention to detail, especially on the defensive end,” said the 17-year vet. “With us, we’re asking him to do a lot, to cover a lot of things. Already I feel like he has my back covering different positions on the court. Everybody knows his offense. His offense is great. We know he can do a lot of things. But on defense, he’s doing a good job of talking to us, protecting the basket and really staying active.”
As Horford mentioned, Porzingis is known for his offense. The 7-foot-3 center has averaged over 20 points per game in each of his last five seasons, including a career-high 23.2 PPG last season. However, his defense is sometimes overlooked when it shouldn’t be.
In his career, Porzingis has averaged 6.6 defensive rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game. Last season, he ranked among the top five in pick-and-roll defense, trailing only Steven Adams, Anthony Davis, and Giannis Antetokounmpo in points allowed per possession on such plays.
“I just think he has really good instincts,” Horford noted. “Sometimes it’s not easy when you’re on the back line trying to recognize when to come help, when to drop off, things like that. It comes pretty easy, from what I’ve seen. He’s able to recover, make a play, and be able to help us.”
It’s reassuring to Horford, knowing that he has another big out there helping on the defensive end after the departure of All-Defensive center Rob Williams. He and KP already seem to have budding chemistry on that end, and it should only get stronger with time.