Kristaps Porzingis of the Dallas Mavericks will miss the remainder of his team’s playoff series with the Los Angeles Clippers due to suffering a torn meniscus in his right knee. Despite this loss, Porzingis hopes to bounce back soon, tweeting those words on Saturday afternoon.
In his first season with the Mavs following a blockbuster trade with the New York Knicks last season—which Porzingis missed in its entirety due to a torn ACL in his left knee—the Mavs, led by reigning Rookie of the Year and wunderkind Luka Doncic and new big man Porzingis, keyed an impressive turnaround and finished the season with the best offense in NBA history.
Mostly thanks to the incredible leap that Doncic made in his second season, the presence of Porzingis as a key floor-spacer with an unblockable 3-point shot at 7-foot-3 as well as a bevy of veteran sharpshooters, the Mavs were an offensive juggernaut that has been short-circuited at times by the Clippers’ stifling defensive depth during the two teams’ playoff series.
Due to his extreme height and relatively thin frame—as well as his tendency to hang out on the perimeter—Porzingis has suffered a several injuries during his career, many of which are concerning lower-body injuries for the big man.
During his Knicks tenure, he suffered multiple issues with his ankles and back, before suffering knee issues in his left knee in late 2017 and early 2018. Soon thereafter, his torn right ACL occurred, causing him to lose a whole year following his All-Star breakout campaign in New York.
Throughout the 2019-20 season with the Mavs, Porzingis missed 18 games due to knee and heel issues.
Let’s hope this meniscus heals quickly and fully, so Porzingis can go back to being a key cog in the best offense in NBA history—even his absence might be tough to take for the remainder of the playoffs.