The 2024-25 NBA season is still months away, but the Boston Celtics may have to begin their quest for back-to-back championships without center Kristaps Porzingis.
The Latvian big man sustained a number of injuries during the Green Team's run to the title, as he missed the entirety of the Eastern Conference Semifinals and Conference Finals due to a soleus strain. Then in the 2024 NBA Finals, Porzingis suffered a torn retinaculum and dislocated posterior tibialis tendon in Game 2, sidelining him until he made a triumphant return in Game 5.
As for next season, Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens believes Porzingis won't quite be ready by late October, per The Ryen Russillo Podcast.
“Kristaps, after his surgery, we don't know exactly when he'll be back, but he'll probably miss at least the very start of the season,” Stevens revealed.
Boston's de facto general manager didn't provide a date for Porzingis' surgery, yet he clarified that it'd be “soon” during a Tuesday morning press conference.
“Kristaps is still in the middle of consulting with some different doctors and specialists but we anticipate surgery will be soon,” he said. “And then we'll have more of an update for timeline of recovery after the surgery.”
The Celtics themselves stated that surgery was also looming:
“Surgery will be performed in the coming days and further updates will be provided when available,” read a team statement on X.
Regardless of his health issues, Porzingis played a key role in getting the C's over the hump. He was Boston's third-leading scorer in the regular season and provided the franchise with exceptional versatility at center.
The 2018 All-Star was a post-up threat, a rim protector, a sharp shooter, and a dangerous scorer who easily rose up over smaller defenders. The only thing that really slowed him down last season was his health, as few defenses had an answer for him when he was paired up with Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Stevens and company want to maintain that talented core, so they'll do whatever they can to keep Porzingis healthy. The Celtics went an incredible 10-2 without “The Unicorn” on the court in the playoffs and were arguably not even at their peak while dominating the Dallas Mavericks in five games in the Finals.
With Porzingis, Boston was 6-1 in the postseason. Simply put, the Celtics know how great they can be with the 7-footer and are willing to rest him next season if it means he'll be available down the line.
What does Porzingis' health mean for the Celtics' 2024 offseason?
The Celtics managed to be so successful without Porzingis because of their depth. Veteran center Al Horford is closer to 40 than 35, yet he turns back the clock whenever he's on the court.
His defense is still strong, he's not afraid to work in the paint, and his 3-point shot can't be ignored. With all his experience in the league and his determination to come back next season, he's a solid backup for Porzingis.
Behind Horford are centers Luke Kornet and Xavier Tillman Sr. These two younger bigs can provide solid minutes when called upon, but they've never truly been starters in the NBA. They're both free agents this summer and could be offered short-term extensions given Porzingis' possible absence.
There's also 7-footer Neemias Queta, who got elevated to Boston's playoff roster late in the regular season. The 24-year-old's contract features a club option, which the Celtics may or may not pick up this offseason.
Since some question marks remain about the future of Boston's big men, Stevens might hone in on a center in the draft. Yves Missi, a 7-footer out of Baylor, could go late in the first round and the C's just so happen to have the 30th overall pick.
No matter where the Celtics look for answers, Stevens views Porzingis' injury as a chance for his team to experiment.
“That'll be a great opportunity for us to do things different and have to find different solutions,” Stevens told Russillo after mentioning that Porzingis could sit to open the 2024-25 season.
With the draft and free agency officially here, the journey to become the first team to win back-to-back NBA titles since 2018 starts now for the Celtics.
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