The addition of Kristaps Porzingis during the offseason certainly elevated the Boston Celtics to where they are right now. The thing is, his delayed return from an injury will be detrimental to the Jayson Tatum-led team, especially since they’re hunting for a ring this year.
After two high-profile stints playing for the New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks, Porzingis spent the last two years playing for a mediocre Washington Wizards team. During that stretch, the Latvian star posted averages of 22.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game.
During the previous offseason, Boston made a move by engaging in a three-team deal that sent Porzingis to them in exchange of a package headlined by Marcus Smart. From there, the All-Star center formed an effective core with Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, and Tatum for the Celtics’ regular season campaign.
With Porzingis manning the 5 spot, Boston was able to capture the best record in the NBA. His addition added another layer to the Celtics’ offense due to the Latvian center’s ability to score under the rim, drain jump shots, shoot the occasional three-pointer, and act as an able screener for his teammates.
In contrast, though, Porzingis’ extensive injury history has made him ineffective in certain stretches of the regular season. And now that he’s out of the lineup this postseason, the Celtics will have to find a way to adjust until he recovers and returns to action.
Boston Celtics’ Kristaps Porzingis Injury Timeline Revealed
It’s no secret Porzingis is an important piece to Boston’s championship puzzle. However, his injury timeline won’t be good for the Celtics, as revealed by a video NBA on TNT posted on X:
Kristaps Porzingis is expected to make a return if the Celtics make the Eastern Conference Finals. @ChrisBHaynes provides an update from Game 5: pic.twitter.com/0iGOGABOMo
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 1, 2024
Porzingis has only played four playoff games this year with averages of 12.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.5 blocks. Unfortunately, he has to recover from a calf injury right away if the Celtics want him to be effective in a possible Eastern Conference Finals appearance.
The Celtics are slated to face either the Cleveland Cavaliers or Orlando Magic in the next round. Nevertheless, Porzingis’ presence in the starting lineup is needed if they want to get past either team to advance.
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