Up against a midnight ET deadline for Kristaps Porzingis to decide on his $36M player option, the Celtics agreed to acquire Porzingis in a three-team deal that will send Marcus Smart to Grizzlies and Tyus Jones to the Wizards.
The Celtics will also acquire the Grizzlies’ No. 25 pick in Thursday’s draft and a 2024 top-four protected Warriors pick from Memphis while Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala will head to Washington.
There’s a reason Porzingis is nicknamed “The Unicorn”
Porzingis is the only player in NBA history to average two 3-pointers and 1.5 blocks in multiple seasons. He did this in 2019-20 and 2022-23.
Porzingis is one of four players to record 100 3-pointers and 100 blocks in a season at least three times, along with Brook Lopez, Rasheed Wallace and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Porzingis was one of three players to average 20 points and 1.5 blocks in 2022-23, along with Anthony Davis and Joel Embiid.
Porzingis was one of three players to record 100 3-pointers and 100 blocks this past season, along with Brook Lopez and Jaren Jackson Jr.
Pick and Pop!
This past season, the Celtics ranked 3rd in pick-and-pop plays ran which is perfect for Porzingis. In 2022-23, Porzingis was the screener for 484 pick-and-pop plays, the 4th-most of any player per Second Spectrum.
348 of these plays led directly to an action, 2nd-most in the NBA, trailing only Nikola Vucevic. He also averaged 1.20 points per direct play on these actions, which ranked in the top 5 among 74 players to run 150+ plays.
The Marcus "Wicked" Smaaaht Factor
Most of you know, I have been a pretty big Marcus Smart supporter. He's a hockey player that plays basketball. He's been the heart and soul of the Celtics team for a few years now. People either seem to love him or hate him. However, when you look at the overall package, this guy is a damn good basketball player and will be missed. You can't pay everyone so unfortunately they had to make this deal. Earlier on Wednesday there was a 3 way deal that fell apart with the Clippers that would have sent Malcolm Brogden to LA.
The Grizzlies ranked third in defensive efficiency last season behind only the Cavaliers and Celtics, and now will boast a lineup with the last two Defensive Players of the Year in 2022-23 winner Jaren Jackson Jr. and 2021-22 winner Marcus Smart. If that comes to fruition, Jackson Jr. and Smart would be the first set of players to play on the same team after having won DPOY the previous two seasons.
Smart will bring playoff experience to Memphis. He is one of five players to play at least one playoff game in each of the last nine postseasons, along with Chris Paul, James Harden, Jae Crowder and Danny Green. He will also be a good mentor, I believe, for Ja Morant.
4 Of Tripadvisor’s Best of the Best Things to Do Are Right Here In Florida
Tripadvisor has been releasing its lists for 2023's Traveler's Choice. It's their "Best of the Best Things to Do" list and it's pretty comprehensive. The one that came out today is the big one. 'Top Overall Experiences." Since my budget is tight, I'm focusing on experiences right here in the United States. And in that list of 25, four of them are within driving distance for us here in Southwest Florida. Florida Staycations. Sometimes the best things to do don't have to cost a fortune. With decent gas mileage, you can do some of these on just a tank of gas from Fort Myers.
In their Traveler's Choice Awards, Tripadvisor states "We award Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best to experiences and attractions with a high volume of above-and-beyond reviews and opinions from our community over a 12-month period." They added, "fewer than 1% of Tripadvisor’s 8 million listings are awarded Best of the Best, signifying the highest level of excellence in travel."
If you're looking for Florida theme parks to visit, sorry. None of them made this list. But you can find those here. The experiences on this list are much more nature-involved. And since so much of our area is still negatively affected by Hurricane Ian, perhaps a drive away vacation might be the thing to do this summer.
If you want the best and spare no expense, you'll want to do number one on this list. The Grand Circle Island and Haleiwa 9 Hour Tour. It's a full day tour of Oahu, Hawaii. I've seen some of the pictures and it looks absolutely incredible.
So of their list of 25, here's 4 Of Tripadvisor's Best of the Best Things to Do. The experiences here in Florida.
Swim with Manatees
This one comes in at number 8 on their Nationwide list. Swimming with the manatees at Crystal River. Crystal River is north of Tampa, about a 3 hour drive from Fort Myers. A 3 hour swim is about $70 and they provide the snorkeling gear.
Mangrove Tunnel, Manatee and Dolphin Kayak Tour of Cocoa Beach
Nationwide, reviewers placed this experience at number 13. Kayaking through mangrove tunnels. A relaxing 2 hour nature excursion. Much different than the airboats that scream through the mangroves in Everglades City. Also fun, but totally different. if traffic's not too bad, you can make it to Cocoa Beach in under 4 hours. $54 a person.
Clear Kayak Tour of Shell Key Preserve
2 hours in a clear Kayak in Tampa's Shell Key Preserve comes in at number 14. About $80 each.
Shark and Wildlife Viewing Adventure in Key West
There's more to do in Key West besides drinking and buoy selfies. At number 17 on the list, you go out on a boat and they chum the water with bait to bring in the sharks. And then you can go drink and the bars. $90 a person.
The rest of the list
If you're looking to venture out of Florida this summer, here's the entire list. If you really want to get out of time, change the drop down to "world".
