EuroBasket 2025 began early Wednesday morning, and the Hawks had two players suit up for their countries on day one. It did not go well for either. Vit Krejci and Czechia fell to Portugal, while Kristaps Porzingis and Latvia fell to Turkey in a much more lopsided way. Despite what was a rough first game for Atlanta's new big man, one specific stat pops out from the rest in a positive way.
Porzingis has a lot to prove this summer, not just to Hawks fans, but to his home country. Latvia is one of the four host countries of the tournament, along with Finland, Cyprus, and Poland. Playing in front of the passionate home fans in Latvia is an added level of pressure for Porzingis, who is coming off the worst postseason of his NBA career. While battling an illness, he averaged 7.7 points and 4.6 rebounds on poor shooting splits.
Celtics fans were convinced that they had seen the last of Porzingis' elite play, and with the second apron coming in hot, the organization elected to move off his salary. Atlanta saw an opportunity to improve and acquired him in a three-team deal involving Boston and Brooklyn.
Since then, reports of Kristaps' health and performance on the court have been eye-opening. In exhibitions with Latvia before the start of EuroBasket, Porzingis looked like he was back in peak form. In five games, he averaged 15.0 points on solid efficiency as the main creator of Latvia's offense. He was also the best defensive player on the court at all times.
Porzingis proved himself in a critical area in his first EuroBasket game
This elite run came to an end once EuroBasket tipped off Wednesday morning. Latvia faced off against Alperen Sengun and Turkey in a game where nothing could go their way. Kristaps Porzingis had his worst outing since last postseason, recording 10 points and 4 rebounds on 3/12 shooting (0/5 3PT).
Despite the poor numbers, Porzingis ended up playing a team-high 25 minutes, answering a major question that Hawks fans have been wondering for quite some time. The Latvian big man is healthy. Even after suiting up in every exhibition game, he is still giving the team consistent minutes in their quest for a EuroBasket title.
Bad games happen, even to the best of the best. This game against Turkey is one to forget, but Hawks fans should still be over the moon about landing the 7'2" star. Expect a major bounce-back from Porzingis during Friday's matchup against Estonia.