The Boston Celtics start the Eastern Conference Finals Game 1 in a few minutes. It looks like there is no difference from the previous injury report. Both Kristaps Porzingis and Xavier Tillman remain out. The Cs’ defensive big has been off the floor since the unfortunate Game 4 against the Miami Heat. ESPN’s Woj had already said that from the look of things, Porzingis was bound to miss Games 1 and 2. Unfortunately, the case seems a lot worse than that.

With the latest reports, Keith Smith of Spotrac tweeted, “Woj just said Kristaps Porzingis could return for Game 4 of the ECF. That would make it about a month of missed time for Porzingis.”

As the Celtics took the floor against Indiana, Al Horford replaced Porzingis, as he has been doing the entire time the Latvian big man has been absent. The team has always been careful in handling Kristaps and his injuries. With an affinity for injuries, the 28-year-old needed to receive proper care before suiting up. The injury during the Heat series was non-contact and what was initially diagnosed as calf tightness quickly became a right soleus strain.

Of course, Porzingis has been trying to amp up his return. Videos of his workouts are making their rounds on social media. However, Woj was clear about the Celtics’ decision not to rush the All-Star. After all, they do have enough skilled hands to handle the Pacers. Although, Porzingis’ absence in the NBA Finals isn’t exactly something Boston is looking forward to.

The Celtics knew what they were getting when they signed Kristaps Porzingis

A major offseason addition to the ‘Beantown,’ Porzingis has been excellent for his team whenever he is on the floor. He finished the regular season with 20.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, shooting a career-best 51.6% from the field and limiting his opponents to 43.3% shooting in the paint. According to Second Spectrum, that is a league-best among contesting defenders of 500 shots or more.

In a way, coach Mazzulla and the President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens, are the reason behind Porzingis’ numbers. Since he’s taken over the executive duties, Stevens has been very vocal about prioritizing the health of the players. As such, the two have sort of curated a schedule that has been extremely effective. We have often seen him sitting on one-half of back-to-backs while keeping a short leash on his smaller injuries. Also, a strategic use of Horford’s services to provide ‘The Unicorn’ relief.

It not only helped Kristaps enter the postseason with no major injuries but the Cs have gotten used to a gameplay that is efficient even without the 7’3, 240-pound center in the picture. That is not to say his absence does not affect the team. Porzingis is easily the third-most important player in the team. Only with him on the floor can Boston achieve something of near perfection or absolute ceiling, if you will. If you remember, his dominance in Games 1 and 3 in the first-round series was crucial for the Celtics’ win. And that is the latest example.

Anyway, seeing as how we have a possible timeline for the return of Kristaps Porzingis, let’s hope it will remain unchanged. The sooner he is back on the floor, the better for Boston.