Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis takes major step forward to potential injury return
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Boston Celtics All-Star big man Kristaps Porzingis, who has not played during the 2024-25 season as he recovers from offseason leg surgery, is beginning to ramp up his activities. In fact, Porzingis is scheduled to practice with the Maine Celtics in the NBA G League on Monday afternoon in order to begin his on-court work, according to Jared Weiss of The Athletic.
Porzingis suffered a torn retinaculum and dislocated posterior tibialis tendon in Game 2 of the 2024 NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks, a rare leg injury that left the 7-footer unable to really move on the court. Although he refused to sit out the entirety of the Celtics’ championship series, this was an injury that had to be addressed surgically in the offseason.
Initially, the Celtics revealed that Porzingis would resume basketball activities in five to six months after undergoing offseason surgery, meaning that he would miss the start of the 2024-25 season. However, there was a sense of optimism that the Latvian center would be able to resume basketball activities heading into the month of December, with the possibility of actually playing before the calendar flipped to 2025.
Now that he is set to participate in a G League practice, it is safe to say that Porzingis is right on schedule, possibly even ahead of schedule, with what Boston initially believed following his surgery.
Even with Porzingis practicing in some capacity, he is still a few weeks away from actually having a chance to get back on the court with the Celtics.
What Kristaps Porzingis’ injury return means for Celtics
The fact that Porzingis is feeling well enough to progress to light practice in the G League with the Maine Celtics is a major step in the right direction. Boston has taken their time with Porzingis as far as his return from offseason surgery has gone, and the team hasn’t been in any rush to get him back on the court.
With a December target date in mind, the stretch big man does appear to be ahead of schedule, which is good news for Boston.
Just about one month into the 2024-25 season, the Celtics find themselves at 11-3 overall, currently in second place behind only the 15-0 Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference. These two teams will meet one another in a massive NBA Cup game on Tuesday night.
Once again, the Celtics are one of the best teams in the league, and their high-powered offense has paved the way to success. Once Porzingis returns to the lineup, likely in limited capacity to start, he will immediately make the Celtics’ offense even more deadly than it is already.
Last season, Porzingis averaged 20.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game while shooting 37.5 percent from three-point range. Not to mention, he averaged 1.9 blocks per game and set the tone for Boston’s defense. His two-way play is what the Celtics are really lacking right now on the interior.
Even though he hasn’t played this season, Porzingis has still remained engaged on the sidelines, almost acting as an extension of the coaching staff for his team.
“Tonight, he was very verbal," Finals MVP Jaylen Brown said after the team’s recent win over the Nets. "He was in his coaching bag, giving guys what he was seeing out there. That's a good sign. That's a good signal that he's getting close. He's getting ready. His mind, his spirit, is out there with us. We can't wait to welcome him back."
While he still has work to do in his rehab process, Porzingis is certainly trending in the right direction. It won’t be long until he is back on the court and making a huge impact for the Celtics.
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