Since entering the NBA, Kristaps Porzingis has dealt with a multitude of injuries that have kept him off the court. With that being said, the 7-foot-2 center is quite an impactful player when in action. The 28-year-old just won his first NBA championship with the Boston Celtics.
The 2024 postseason saw Porzingis sit out a bunch of games, although he did play 16 minutes in the title-clinching Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks. After the title-winning season was complete, Porzingis was forced to go under the knife for surgery. A timetable has now been provided for how long he is expected to be out.
Celtics Star Expected To Miss Beginning Of Season After Surgery
Kristaps Porzingis May Be Back By End Of 2024 After Surgery
It was said that a rare leg injury had forced Porzingis to miss Games 3 and 4 of the NBA Finals. The injury is now known as the Celtics have stated that Porzingis had surgery to repair a torn retinaculum and dislocated posterior tibialis tendon. They also mentioned that he would return to action in five or six months.
The Celtics say Kristaps Porzingis had surgery to repair a torn retinaculum and dislocated posterior tibialis tendon, and that he will return to play in “5-to-6 months” — meaning he’ll be out well into the start of next season.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) June 27, 2024
Being it is the end of June, that would Porzingis back on the court somewhere between late November and late December. While schedules haven’t been revealed, the 2024-25 season is set to begin on October 22. Porzingis could miss the first month or two of the regular season.
As previously mentioned, Porzingis has missed ample time in his career with numerous injuries. Selected fourth overall by the New York Knicks in the 2015 NBA Draft, he stayed relatively healthy the first two seasons playing in 72 and 66 games. In the seven seasons since, he has appeared in no more than 65 games. Porzingis missed the entire 2018-19 season with a torn ACL, an injury he sustained late in the 2017-18 season.
It was a wildly disappointing injury for Porzingis as he was named an All-Star for the first time in that 2017-18 season. While rehabbing the torn ACL, he was traded to the Mavericks in January of 2019.
Fit Seamlessly With Boston
After what was arguably his best season in the league with the Washington Wizards in 2022-23, Porzingis was involved in a three-team trade that sent him to the Celtics. On a team with numerous scoring options, Porzingis excelled even if he touched the ball less than in previous years. In 57 games in 2023-24, he posted averages of 20.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.9 blocks. He shot a career-best 51.6% from the field and knocked down 37.5% of his three-point tries.
Unfortunately, he played in just seven of Boston’s 19 playoff games during their championship run. Prior to the injury that caused him to need surgery, Porzingis was sitting out with a strained calf. That injury caused him to miss the Eastern Conference Semifinals and Finals in full.
With Porzingis out to begin the season, expect 38-year-old Al Horford to be in the starting lineup in his place. Some speculated that he may retire after Boston won it all, but Horford dispelled those talks. The Celtics also could look to re-sign their unrestricted free agent centers, Xavier Tillman Sr. and Luke Kornet.
