After focusing on raising Banner 18 in his first season with the Boston Celtics Kristaps Porzingis hasn't been afraid to use his voice in Year 2.
The veteran big man called out the team for having "no spirit, no personality" after a crushing loss to the Toronto Raptors. Following the C's recent win over the Dallas Mavericks, Porzingis said the reigning champions have "looked like a house cat" at points this season after being a "lion" throughout their title run.
He offered another critique Wednesday when asked about whether he has felt more comfortable speaking up in his second season with the organization.
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"There's not a lot to say, honestly," Porzingis answered. "When you're a young team and you have younger guys that there's a lot for them to learn, there's much more to say. Here with this team, I came in and I was like, 'These guys know how to play basketball.'
"So there's no reason to force it, but it's true that sometimes we lack a little bit of communication as a team and we need to talk more. So I think just that part we can improve for sure. We have a pretty chill and relaxed locker room, but sometimes we need a little more -- being more vocal as a group"
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Boston is a mediocre 11-9 over its last 20 games. With Monday's loss to the Houston Rockets, they moved to just 3-9 following a win this season (0-5 at home).
Porzingis has done his part to mitigate those struggles. The 7-foot-2 Latvian has averaged 18.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks in 22 games since his return from offseason ankle surgery on Nov. 25. He has been the team's most consistent player during the up-and-down stretch, averaging 19.3 points with a scorching 29-for-59 (49.2 percent) shooting clip from 3-point range in January.
Although the C's haven't played their best basketball lately, they still find themselves in second place in the Eastern Conference standings with a 32-15 record. They'll look to bounce back from Monday's defeat when they welcome the Chicago Bulls to TD Garden on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
You can listen to Porzingis' full press conference below or on YouTube: