At the tail-end of the 2024 NBA Playoffs, Kristaps Porzingis came back from the injury he suffered in the first round just to get hurt again. He suffered a very unique injury, and while he played in the Finals-clinching Game 5, he still required surgery.
Now, Porzingis will spend the offseason recovering. He is slated to miss a long stretch of the year with hope in place for a return around Christmas time.
Brad Stevens provides Kristaps Porzingis injury update: 'He's starting to do more and more'
Brad Stevens recently spoke with Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe in a one-on-one interview, and the Celtics President of Basketball Operations provided an update on the Latvian big man.
“He’s in Latvia. He’s starting to do more and more and more,” Stevens said. “He was in a boot for a while there, but every indication is he’s progressing well and he’s on the right timeline. But it’s going to be a while.”
Despite getting hurt in the first round of the playoffs against the Miami Heat, Porzingis was still a big part of Boston’s success last season. His elite rim protection and floor spacing changed the way the Celtics were able to play (and for the better).
In 57 appearances for the Celtics, Porzingis averaged 20.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 51.6% from the floor and 37.5% from behind the three-point line.
With Porzingis out and Al Horford likely sitting out back-to-backs against next season, Boston will need as much help at the big man position as they can get. Especially since Stevens doesn’t seem particularly confident in Porzingis’ ability to come back in a timely manner.
Luckily, he took care of business in free agency this summer. Stevens re-signed Luke Kornet, Neemias Queta, and Xavier Tillman in free agency. He also signed Anton Watson to a two-way contract after drafting him with the 54th pick.
While Stevens isn’t particularly enthusiastic about Porzingis coming back quickly, he does seem pleased with how well he’s been progressing in terms of his recovery.
But after winning a championship this past year, the Celtics (and their fans) should be very comfortable giving Porzingis all the time he needs to get back to full health.