Kristaps Porzingis looks like a new man ever since he joined the Washington Wizards. The former All-Star made his way to the Capital following a blockbuster deal prior to the February trade deadline that saw Davis Bertans and Spencer Dinwiddie moving on to the Dallas Mavericks.
It's been so far so good for Porzingis with the Wizards. In 13 games played so far, the 26-year-old is putting up averages of 21.8 points on 47.2 percent shooting, 8.3 rebounds, a career-best 31. assists, and 1.6 blocks, while also connecting on 1.4 triples per game. The sample size is undeniably small, but if he keeps this up, it is clear that the Wizards now have themselves a new cornerstone big man.
The one thing that could get in the way of Porzingis living up to his true potential in Washington is his own health. KP has a rather extensive list of injuries throughout his career, which has earned him a reputation for being an injury-prone player. The Wizards big man is having none of this, however. While he acknowledges that he's missed more than a few games due to various injuries, he also believes that this is an unfair notion:
“Of course, my body is particular, I’m 7-foot-3 — you know the way I move,” he said, via The Washington Post. “But the injuries that I’ve had have been contact injuries, the two major ones — the ACL and the meniscus. So that’s something you can’t really avoid. It can happen, and it happened to me. I haven’t had the best luck in that sense.”
Porzingis' first major injury came in 2018 while he was having the best season of his career with the New York Knicks. He was actually named an All-Star that year before his season came to an unfortunate end due to a torn ACL. He underwent surgery and was unable to suit up for the entirety of the succeeding season.
In 2020, Porzingis tore his meniscus in Game 1 of the Mavs' first-round encounter against the Los Angeles Clippers. He went under the knife again and missed several months before returning to action. Once he returned, KP saw himself jumping in and out of the lineup due to a myriad of minor injuries. Last season, Porzingis played in just 43 out of the Mavs' 72 regular-season games.
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It's a clean slate forPorzingis now that he's with the Wizards, though. Right now, he's focused on keeping his body right and doing whatever he can to stay healthy. As we all know, he's a beast whenever he's on the floor. Staying injury-free will be key to his success with his new team.
Porzingis is and will be without a doubt one of the most important players on the roster. He can't do it alone, though, and he will need to get help from his teammates. KP likes how the Wizards roster is currently designed. It has a mix of young talent and a handful of veterans. They're by no means a championship contender just yet but there's no denying that the future is bright in Washington.
“Anybody can have one great season, and it’s like, ‘Oh, okay, whatever.’ But something that you build with a foundation — ‘We’re playing this way; we’re being consistent; this is how we see everything’ — keep building. And then you make the little adjustments by having open communication, by letting the other guy know what you both need — poof,” Porzingis said, clapping his hands. “Little bit like a relationship.”
How Porzingis is able to function alongside Bradley Beal is also going to be integral for the Wizards. Beal has been out of action since early February due to a wrist injury and he has not had the chance to play with Porzingis. Nevertheless, KP is confident that he will be able to find his groove once Beal returns:
“Brad is pretty easygoing, on and off the court, and we’ll get along fine no matter how people see us coexisting. I think he’s an excellent player, multiple-time all-star; he’s going to keep doing that, and I’m going to bring my game up, I believe,” Porzingis said.
Porzingis is at a point in his career where he will need to play with a chip on his shoulder. He's got something to prove and he will be looking to re-establish himself as one of the top big men in the league with the Wizards.
“I believe my potential is — I still have to reach it,” he said. “… At the end, what I’m looking for is peace in my life. I don’t want to live in a crazy chaos life. I want peace. I want to be at peace with who I am.”
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