Is Porzingis almost back? C’s big man is ‘lurking’, Forsberg says originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Celtics have an ace up their sleeve and may not have to wait much longer to play it.
Big man Kristaps Porzingis underwent surgery after the NBA Finals in June to repair a torn retina and a dislocated posterior tibialis tendon, and at the time the Celtics announced he would likely return to play in five to six months, which is November or December would be. .
Well, it’s now mid-November and Porzingis was spotted getting some on-court work before the Celtics’ game against the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center on Wednesday night.
After the game — a 139-114 Boston win — Celtics Insider Chris Forsberg put Porzingis’ activities in an encouraging context.
“KP is lurking,” Forsberg told co-host Kayla Burton on NBC Sports Boston’s Celtics PostUp. “I said this: What he does in warmups is very similar to what we saw during the playoffs — maybe even a step further — when he got in shape to play a game against Dallas.”
Porzingis suffered his leg injury in the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs against the Miami Heat, but ramped up his rehabilitation in the coming weeks and was able to play Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Forsberg sees similarities between Porzingis’ rehab work in the playoffs and his work on the field now, which could mean the big man isn’t far away from a return.
“It’s easy to forget that as good as the Celtics have been, they’re getting back this 7-(foot)-2 guy who makes them completely different,” Forsberg added. “So when I saw him out there tonight, coming loose, smiling like always, coming off the field, that’s a good sign that, hey, good things are coming.”
The stakes in mid-November are obviously much lower than the NBA Finals, so don’t be surprised if the Celtics take a conservative approach to Porzingis’ return. The team is 10-3 in 13 games without him this season and went 10-2 in his absence last season, so they’ve found ways to succeed while he’s sidelined.
That said, the Celtics are undoubtedly better when Porzingis is on the court, and his return would be very welcome for a team that had issues with the boards and defending the paint early this season.
“You start thinking about what they’ve been struggling with, the glass and things like that, but sometimes when the offense goes cold, all those things will be alleviated,” Forsberg added. “… There’s another level this team will go to, even on nights like this, when they look great.”
Watch the video player above for more from Forsberg and Kayla Burton on Porzingis.
