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Is the Celtics NBA star playing today?

Posted on by Kennedy
Is the Celtics NBA star playing today?

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Kristaps Porzingis came back for one game. It's the silver lining to the recent injury he'll have to overcome heading into the 2024-25 NBA season.

Porzingis missed most of the Boston Celtics' 2024 playoff run and suffered another setback in Game 2 of the NBA Finals that the team called “rare.” He then played 16 minutes in the decisive Game 5, in which the Celtics cemented their place in franchise history by winning a championship. This means that the bold move of acquiring Porzingis and trading Marcus Smart for Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown could be seen as a success.

But given Porzingis' track record, with that upward trend also came the risk of what's unfolding now. He won't be available to play when the Celtics begin defending their NBA title against the New York Knicks on the league's opening night on Tuesday and may not be back in the uniform for a while.

Here's the latest update on Porzingis' injury, including what happened this offseason and when he may return to the Celtics this season.

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Will Kristaps Porzingis play opening night?

No. The Celtics announced last June that Porzingis would miss the start of the 2024-25 NBA season after undergoing surgery to repair the unusual ankle injury – a torn medial retinaculum that led to a dislocation of the posterior tibialis tendon – which he suffered in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. Porzingis is the only player listed on the Celtics' injury report ahead of their opening game against the Knicks.

When will Kristaps Porzingis return?

When the Celtics announced that Porzingis underwent surgery on June 27, 2024, it was said that his recovery time would be five to six months. Based on this schedule, late November is the earliest point in the season that Porzingis is expected to return. A six-month recovery would push his return to the end of December.

But Porzingis told ESPN last month that he expects to return in December. He told reporters at Celtics media day last month, “My ankle feels really, really good” as he ramps up his workouts during his rehabilitation.

“I would say we're very, very pleased with where he's at and maybe a little surprised,” Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said of Porzingis' progress.

Kristaps Porzingis injury history

This ankle injury is not the first serious illness the 28-year-old Porzingis has suffered since joining the NBA in 2015 with the Knicks.

After proving to be a “unicorn” and potential force with the Knicks, his career was temporarily interrupted by a torn ACL in his left knee in February 2018, which ultimately led to him being traded to the Dallas Mavericks. He missed the entire 2018-19 season recovering from the injury and has played more than 57 games in a season only once since then, in 2022-23 with the Washington Wizards.

Before injuring his ankle in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, Porzingis missed most of the Celtics' 2024 playoffs after suffering a calf injury in Game 4 of Boston's first-round series against the Miami Heat. He didn't return until the start of the NBA Finals.

Porzingis also tore his lateral meniscus during the 2020 playoffs and missed the start of the 2020-21 season while playing for the Mavericks.

Kristaps Porzingis stats

2023-24 NBA season with the Boston Celtics

  • 57 games played
  • 20.1 points/game
  • 7.2 rebounds/game
  • 2 assists/game
  • 1.9 blocks/game
  • 37.5% from 3-point range
  • 51.6% from the field

Career (8 seasons)

  • 19.7 points/game
  • 7.9 rebounds/game
  • 1.8 assists/game
  • 1.8 blocks/game
  • 36.1% from 3-point range
  • 45.8% from the field

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