One of the first moves that the Atlanta Hawks made this season was acquiring Kristaps Porzingis from the Boston Celtics, as they had plans of shedding salary. The Hawks now have one of the more skilled big men in the league in Porzingis, as he can shoot from the perimeter and also defend the interior.
Porzingis was a big help to the Celtics during his tenure, but late in the playoffs last season, he wasn't as effective because of an illness he was dealing with. Since then, Porzingis has been fairly healthy, and at Media Day, he spoke about how he's feeling after the illness.
“It was good for me to have a Eurobasket this summer, just to get back in shape, get in a good rhythm, and that was an important part for me,” Porzingis said. “Just to have a couple of months of preparation, and getting my lungs good again, and everything, was super important, and I look forward to heading into this season already in the rhythm, already in good shape, and I feel fantastic right now.”
Porzingis looked like his normal self in EuroBasket, and if the Hawks can get that version of him this season, they'll be in good shape.
Kristaps Porzingis speaks about mystery illness
When Porzingis initially had the illness on the Celtics, he was unsure what was wrong. Fast forward to now, and there are still questions about what was going on with his body during an important part of last season.
“I still don't have an exact answer,” Porzingis said. “They had some sort of explanation for it, but it was lingering. That was the toughest part. I still felt it. Some days, I was okay, my energy was good, and some days, I had a crash. I'm glad it's gone now. Maybe it was just that my system needed a reset during the summer. I took some time off, and I haven't felt it since.
“Even with the national team, I felt fantastic in all the preparation. It did take me a little bit longer to get in good shape with the national team, so I was really happy I had this summer.”
Regardless, it's good to know that Porzingis is healthy coming into the season, and he will be an important part of the Hawks' success this season.
