Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis is on the road to recovery and optimistic about his return to the court after undergoing ankle surgery in late June. The 29-year-old Latvian big man has been working diligently to accelerate his rehabilitation process, aiming for a comeback potentially earlier than initially expected.
Aiming for an Early Return
Porzingis was originally expected to be sidelined for five to six months following the surgery, putting his return date around December. However, he has shown significant progress in recent weeks. "The expectation is sometime in December, but I'm feeling really good and I'm working towards hopefully playing earlier than that," Porzingis said.
Over the weekend, Porzingis took a major step forward in his recovery by beginning to run and participate in light contact drills, including one-on-one play. He reported feeling good not only during these activities but also in the days following. "I think I've started the next stage now as I got here. Started running, had some light contact stuff. Played some, like, 1-on-1. I felt really good. I felt really good, and the most important is I felt really good the next day, too. So yeah, looking forward to ramping up even more," he shared.
Cautious Optimism from the Celtics Staff
The Celtics' medical team, led by team president Brad Stevens, has advised caution given the unique nature of Porzingis' injury. Last season, Porzingis played through an ankle injury sustained in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, tearing his medial retinaculum. Despite the injury, he returned to play 16 minutes in Game 5 of the Finals and even contributed valuable minutes in Game 1 despite coming off a calf injury.
Stevens expressed satisfaction with Porzingis' progress but refrained from setting a concrete timeline for his return. "Kristaps obviously had the surgery that was well documented after the year and seems to be recovering well. He's very optimistic. I don't know that we're interested in putting a timeline on him because the injury is unique. But as far as how he feels and the progress that he's made, I'd say we're very, very pleased with where he is and maybe a little surprised," said Stevens.
Porzingis echoed this sentiment, acknowledging the cautious approach. "Obviously the energy I'm feeling from the doctor, the surgeon, the medical staff is not to rush anything. But for myself, obviously, if you ask me and I had to do my own protocol, I would probably go quicker. But that's a good sign. I'm feeling really good. My ankle's feeling really, really good," he noted.
Filling the Void in the Interim
In Porzingis' absence, veteran Al Horford is expected to fill the starting center role at the beginning of the season. Backups Luke Kornet and Xavier Tillman will provide additional support during this period. The Celtics are mindful of Porzingis' pivotal role on the team and are taking every precaution to ensure his full recovery before he makes his return to the court.
Porzingis remains hopeful and engaged, embodying a positive outlook as he progresses through his rehabilitation. "Doing a good amount of stuff" has been his mantra, and he remains "optimistic as always" about his path back to the court, continuously working toward resuming his vital role with the Celtics.