Celtics are making a Kristaps Porzingis realization that Mavs fans know too well

The Dallas Mavericks have been on a tear leading up to their Christmas Day game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, as the Mavericks have won 14 out of their last 17 games since a November 14 loss versus the Utah Jazz that dropped Dallas to 5-7 at the time. The Mavericks now have a two-game lead for the fourth seed in the Western Conference, and they are in close contention with the Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies for the second and third seed.

Dallas' recent stretch has defined their season and they've established a real identity for themselves, which is something that is paramount if they want to make a run back to the NBA Finals this season. The Mavericks arguably have a more talented offensive lineup compared to even last season, and while a backup defensive-oriented wing or big man could truly complete this Mavericks rotation, it's not a far fetch to say this is the best roster the Mavericks have had in years.

Dallas' foe in the NBA Finals last June, the Boston Celtics, are currently sitting as the second seed in the Eastern Conference with a record of 22-7. The Mavericks struggled to counter the sheer offensive versatility of the Celtics last season in the Finals, but this may not be near as much of an issue as last season if the Mavericks were to encounter the Celtics in an NBA Finals rematch next June.

The Mavericks certainly can't undermine how talented of a roster the Celtics have and they should keep their eye on Boston all season long should a potential Finals rematch arise, but the Mavericks undoubtedly have a better opportunity to exploit a weak point in Boston's lineup whenever the two face off against each other later this season.

Porzingis is struggling with injuries and inefficient shooting this season

This issue for the Celtics is something that Mavericks fans know all too well already, as it comes in the form of Kristaps Porzingis. The 7-foot-3 Latvian center had one of his best seasons in the league last season adapting to the Celtics' five-out and fast-paced offense, but he's struggling with the same issues this season that plagued him during his tenure in Dallas, that being his lack of durability and spotty outside shooting.

Porzingis' return from injury in the Finals last season was just enough to completely overwhelm the Mavericks, as they simply didn't have enough dynamism in terms of their offensive creation beyond Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving to keep up with the high-octane Celtics. However, given that the Mavericks' big men have had another season to grow more comfortable on both sides of the ball after a deep playoff run last season, it wouldn't be surprising to see the likes of Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford outperform Porzingis in a potential playoff series.

Porzingis has only played in 10 games this season due to injury, and he's shooting an inefficient 31.1 percent from outside for the Celtics, which are both issues that mirror the same problem he had in the 2022-23 season for the Mavericks before they traded him to the Washington Wizards. Porzingis is clearly not at 100 percent after coming off retinaculum surgery in June, and this is something that is hindering his physicality as a rim protector, explosiveness as a roller, and his ability to get his legs into his shot consistently.

It's without a doubt that Porzingis still has plenty of time to turn his season around, but the Celtics may not find it so easy to compensate for some of his deficiencies in more high-intensity games in the playoffs just like the Mavericks weren't able to once upon a time versus the LA Clippers. Porzingis is still putting up decent counting stats and the Celtics haven't gotten any less prolific on both sides of the ball, but these early season concerns for Porzingis assuredly make the Mavericks far more confident in Gafford and Lively II's ability to out-athlete and out-physical Porzingis if they played in the Finals again.