Boston Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis is set to miss a large chunk of next season. The Latvian center played a huge role in Boston’s championship run last season, but he suffered a couple of tough injuries during their playoff run.
In Game 4 of the first round against the Miami Heat, Porzingis endured a calf strain that kept him out until the NBA Finals. And just when he got back onto the floor, Porzingis dealt with a bigger, more unique injury—a torn medial retinaculum.
According to Brad Stevens, while Porzingis is progressing well, he isn’t going to be back on the court for a while.
Luckily, the Celtics brought back their entire big man rotation from last season. They re-signed Luke Kornet, Neemias Queta, and Xavier Tillman, drafted Anton Watson and signed him to a two-way spot, and Al Horford is still on board as well.
Here is one way every Boston big can help fill in for Porzingis.
1. Al Horford - Being himself
This is the most obvious answer for any of the Celtics’ big men. All Al Horford has to do next season is be himself. At 39 years old, that’s all Boston will ever ask of him from here on out.
Horford will maintain his starting job while Porzingis is out, though he will almost certainly continue sitting out the second night of back-to-backs heading into next year.
If he can defend effectively and nail his three-point shots, then that will be more than enough to keep Boston afloat while Kirstaps Porzingis is out.