Kristaps Porzingis and the Dallas Mavericks remained mum on whether he will suit up for their game against the Memphis Grizzlies later tonight.
However, it is highly likely that Porzingis will sit out the latter end of the Mavericks' back-to-back set this weekend, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN.
Rick Carlisle and Kristaps Porzingis declined to comment on whether he'd play Saturday night in Memphis. But Porzingis likely sits second night of Mavs' first back-to-back. Team has been clear they'd err on side of caution with him coming off 20-month layoff.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) November 9, 2019
Last night, Porzingis played his first game against his former team, the New York Knicks. Albeit coming up short, 106-102, Porzingis still tallied 28 points, nine rebounds, and five blocks against the team that drafted him with the no. 4 overall pick in 2015.
The Mavericks have openly stated that they will prioritize Porzingis' health this season. That means they will place him in some sort of load management program as he eases himself into basketball shape after missing one and a half seasons due to injury.
Porzingis has played all eight games for the Mavericks so far this season. After missing nearly 20 months of action, the 7-foot-3 forward is putting up averages of 20.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks across 33 minutes per contest.
Much like the L.A. Clippers are doing with Kawhi Leonard, Dallas will also likely keep Porzingis out on one game of their back-to-back games. After this weekend, the Mavericks still have 10 more back-to-back sets the rest of the way. That could translate into at least 10 missed games for the Latvian Unicorn.
Their next back-to-back set comes in December 4 and 5, followed by another one on December 8 and 9.
The Mavericks rightfully inked Porzingis to a five-year $158-million deal this past summer. Thus, Dallas is smart enough to be cautious with the long-term health of their emerging star as they placed a massive investment on him over the next five years.
Follow Us
Subscribe