The Dallas Mavericks suddenly possess two of the most talented young players in the NBA, and both happen to hail from overseas. Before the team's updated version of Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitzki take the floor together, though, Kristaps Porzingis first needs to make a full recovery from the ACL tear he suffered last season with the New York Knicks. Unfortunately, there's still no timeline for Luka Doncic's newest running mate to return to the court.
“Zero timetable,” coach Rick Carlisle said on Friday when asked about Porzingis' return, per Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News. “It'll be later than sooner, I'm sure of that.”
Dallas has ample reason to slow-play Porzingis' debut, as excited as fans are to see him run ball screen after ball screen with Doncic. While ACL injuries are hardly the death-knell now they were a decade ago, Porzingis represents a unique case. There's no analog for the recovery, both short and long-term, on a 7-foot-3 player who relies so heavily on athleticism and coordination for success. Every injury takes on additional risk when it's suffered by big men, but especially one of Porzingis' dimensions and playing style.
It's not like the Mavs still have realistic playoff aspirations this season, either. At 23-28, they currently sit four-and-a-half games behind the L.A. Clippers for eighth in the West and losing Wes Matthews and DeAndre Jordan in Thursday's blockbuster trade will only make closing that gap over the season's remainder even more difficult. Then there are draft considerations to consider; if Dallas lands a top-five selection in June, the team keeps its 2019 first-round pick rather than sending it to the Atlanta Hawks.
Porzingis is coming, Mavs fans. But for both personal and team-building reasons, the smart play is for Dallas to hold him out of action until he's reached a completely clean bill of health.
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