Celtics Tip Off NBA Media Days, Set To Defend Title

It’s that time again. And yes, you guessed it — time for NBA media days, followed by training camps, followed by the preseason. Then the real thing arrives. And the reigning champion Celtics tipped it all off on Tuesday.

The Nuggets will do the same on Thursday, as the clubs are set to square off in a pair of preseason games in Abu Dhabi. In case you weren’t aware, the Celtics and Nuggets are the previous two NBA champions.

For the Celtics, perhaps the biggest news came from head of basketball operations Brad Stevens, who offered an update on the status of forward Kristaps Porzingis. While the Celtics’ success are centered on All-Star wings Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, Porzingis is their X-factor — and frankly, is sort f a cheat code for a team that truly has it all.

Porzingis suffered a rare knee injury last season and is expected to miss the start of this one because of it.

“He’s very optimistic,” Stevens told reporters, via Adam Taylor of Celtics Wire. “I don’t know that we’re interested in putting a timeline on it, because the injury is unique. But as far as how he feels and the progress that he’s made, we’re very, very pleased with where he is — maybe a little surprised.”

As for the Nuggets, no less than Tatum said he believed they were the best Finals matchup for Boston. (Instead, the Celtics got the Mavericks and won in five games.)

“People always ask me, when did you guys know you were going to win a championship? When Minnesota beat Denver, I felt like Denver was the only team that matched up best with us,” Tatum told Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. “I thought that we were going to play Denver in the Finals and it was going to be a good one.”

All other teams are holding their media days on Monday.