New Dallas Mavericks star Kristaps Porzingis participated in his first full practice with the team, and head coach Rick Carlisle is pleased with what he saw from the youngster:
Carlisle speaks about @kporzee’s first practice. pic.twitter.com/aRgymooAeN
— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) March 13, 2019
Carlisle said Porzingis has made “tremendous progress with his rehab,” and revealed the big man had already competed in three-on-three scrimmages against his teammates before taking this next step.
Porzingis hasn't played an NBA game since suffering an ACL tear in February of last year while playing for the New York Knicks. While the usual recovery period typically takes six to nine months, there were reports that he had several setbacks during his recovery process.
The Knicks traded Porzingis to the Mavs earlier this season.
The Mavs knew what they were getting when they made a deal with the Knicks. They knew Porzingis was still injured, but they have extreme confidence that he can play at an elite level when healthy. Of course, the main goal is to pair him with rookie sensation Luka Doncic, which will happen next season.
That is why Dallas is taking all precautionary measures to make sure Porzingis is 100 percent when he returns. There's no reason for the Mavs to rush Porzingis' return. They won't be making the playoffs this season, so they are focused on their plans for the next one. Obviously, one of those is to see Porzingis back on the playing court.
Things are starting to look good for the Mavs and their fans.
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