The Dallas Mavericks will get a boost when big man Kristaps Porzingis makes his season debut Monday night against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Shams Charania of The Athletic reported Porzingis has been cleared for game activity following months of rehab after offseason knee surgery.
https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1348674555703947264
The Mavs are 5-4 to start the year, rebounding from a 1-3 start to win four of their last five.
Luka Doncic had a historically bad shooting start from beyond the arc through the first few games, and his usage did not translate to productivity. However, in spite of turnovers aplomb, Doncic has racked up triple-doubles in two of his last three contests. Porzingis' availability should make the Mavs that much more dangerous on the offensive end of the floor.
Dallas has been extremely cautious with respect to Porzingis' status. The 25-year-old missed nearly half of the 2017-18 season and the entirety of the next campaign with a torn ACL. Porzingis averaged 20.4 points and 9.4 rebounds in his first year with the Mavs this past season, and was explosive through the first few games of the playoffs. But he also sustained a torn meniscus, leading to surgery.
Head coach Rick Carlisle has been pleased with Porzingis' progress since the start of training camp, but never gave a concrete answer as to when he would return to the rotation. But the 7-footer is ready to suit up, and the Mavs are closer to full strength.
The Mavs are currently sixth in the Western Conference, but they are also separated by the top-3 by just one game. Obviously, it is still quite early in the year. But Dallas is hoping to climb the ladder in the West, and Porzingis' return should make a big difference in the team's ability to do just that.
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