“I’ve been doing a good amount of stuff, doing pretty good. Looking forward to keep making the progress at this rate.” Kristaps Porzingis had positive updates about himself during the Celtics’ Media Day. The last thing the player wanted was a relapse in his injury after securing the NBA championship title with his peers.

Since developing the ailment, Porzingis has been on the right track, arriving at Media Day with a big smile and no noticeable limp. Having missed the entire preseason, questions linger. Has the player recovered enough to be present for the Celtics’ season opener?

Unfortunately, the short answer continues to be ‘No.’ Earlier today, the official X account of the Boston Celtics highlighted details of its injury report before the New York Knicks matchup. As expected, Kristaps Porzingis remains in the ‘OUT’ category. On the bright side, however, no other player is mentioned in the report. Hence, except for the Latvian, all other key players who helped the Celtics secure the championship title the previous season will be available. Jalen Brunson and Co, be ready!

Porzingis had developed a torn retinaculum on his left leg during Game 2 of the 2024 NBA Finals. The same later aggravated into a dislocated posterior tibialis tendon. Joe Mazzulla described the ailment as a “serious injury” instead of choosing to sugarcoat the situation. Before Game 3, Porzingis was available during the shoot-around session, indicating that things seemed okay. Unfortunately, the team ruled him out two hours before the matchup commenced. Porzingis did arrive to play during Game 5, though he could only make 5 points in 16 minutes. The same didn’t matter much by the dead of night, as the Celtics had finally raised the Larry O’Brien trophy for the first time since 2008.

According to sports physician Dr. Jessica Flynn, Porzingis’s leg injury can undermine his overall mobility. Despite this, she revealed, “I just think it’s going to be difficult for him to go out there and be effective, but I’m not willing to say it’s impossible.”

The assurance may have been sufficient for some. Despite this, they decided not to take any more risks with Porzingis’ health. Once he got surgery to treat the injury in June, the player was even ruled out from representing Latvia during the 2024 Paris Olympics. Having provided an update on his health back in late September, Porzingis, himself, is setting expectations for him to miss out on quite a couple of games during the early part of the season.

“The expectation is sometime in December,” said Porzingis when discussing his return during an interview with ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. “But I’m feeling really good, and I’m working towards hopefully playing earlier than that.” It is a shame that the power forward/center will not be present to take on the Knicks. After all, if the player’s past games have shown us anything, his presence often helped to change the outcome of the matchups.

Why is Kristaps Porzingis’s absence harmful to the Boston Celtics?

The Latvian currently holds a 5-5 win record against the Knicks. He has managed to average 21.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2 assists during the last 10 games. Additionally, along with securing a shooting average of 6.4-13.7 (46.7%) field goals, 3.3-6.9 (47.8%) three-pointers, and 5.4-5.6 (96.4%) free throws. Porzingis’s points total has not fallen in the single digits in any games. It proves that he makes efficient use of his minutes when going up against Jalen Brunson and Co.

Porzingis’s best performance against the Knicks came back in October 2023. Ironically, the game was his debut season performance alongside the Celtics. During the same, he contributed significantly to the 108–104 win by making 30 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 blocks. Out of the points were made in the first quarter itself. His score ended up setting the record for the most points made by a debut player in the history of the Celtics franchise.

Amongst a field of stars like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, Porzingis’s contribution has mattered the most when dealing with the Knicks. Unfortunately, the Celtics squad will have to go up against the franchise this time alone.