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Boston Celtics star big man Kristaps Porzingis has been medically cleared from his offseason leg surgery and will make his season debut on Monday night against the Los Angeles Clippers, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.
Porzingis suffered a torn retinaculum and dislocated posterior tibialis tendon in Game 2 of the 2024 NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks, a rare leg injury that left the 7-footer unable to really move on the court. After undergoing surgery in the offseason to repair this injury, it was initially said that Porzingis wouldn't be ready to return until late-December or early on in 2025.
Throughout the weeks, the Celtics big man had ramped up his activities pain-free, leading to a belief that he was ahead of schedule in his potential return from injury. That is not the case, as the Celtics will be whole once more in hopes of defending their title from a year ago.
Without Porzingis in the lineup to begin the season, Boston has posted a 14-3 record, currently 2.5 games behind the first-place Cleveland Cavaliers. In his absence, Al Horford, Neemias Queta, Xavier Tillman Sr., and Luke Kornet have all started at least one game at the center position for the Celtics. Tillman and Kornet have been battling injuries in recent weeks, which is why it is a sigh of relief for the Celtics to get Porzingis back.
Of course, as he works his way back to the court, Porzingis will very likely face a minute restriction. After all, this will be the first time he has played in an actual game since June 17, when the Celtics defeated the Mavs 106-88 in Game 5 of the 2024 NBA Finals to clinch their 18th championship in team history.
In a total of 57 games last season, Porzingis averaged 20.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 51.6 percent from the floor and 37.5 percent from three-point range. His first season with the Celtics was a massive success, which is why head coach Joe Mazzulla and the entire organization are thrilled to welcome him back to the court on Monday night against a gritty Clippers team that also finds themselves on a five-game win streak like Boston.
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“You seen it (what Porzingis means to the team) last year. We’re a really good team right now,” Celtics star Jayson Tatum said of Porzingis recently. “We got KP and it just makes us that much better on both ends of the floor. Our chemistry is there. It’s like having a cheat code — a 7’4 guy we can get the ball to on mismatches and watch him go to work.
“We're all excited for when he does come back and have our full team healthy.”
After Monday's matchup with LA, the Celtics won't play again until Friday, when they hit the road to take on the Chicago Bulls in another NBA Cup group stage game. This will give Porzingis plenty of time to rest up, receive treatment, and be ready to go before another meaningful game.
The Celtics currently list Porzingis as probable for Monday's game against the Clippers.
