The reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics are on the hunt for back-to-back titles. But they’re probably gonna have to do that without center Kristaps Porzingis for a little while.
As the Celtics open their title defense against the New York Knicks on Tuesday night, they will be without the spacing and shot-blocking big man’s services — he’s the only player currently listed on Boston’s injury report.
Why? Porzingis is still recovering from surgery for a torn retinaculum and dislocated posterior tibialis tendon suffered early in last year’s playoffs and exacerbated in Game 2 of the 2024 NBA Finals. While not season-ending, it remains a “rare” ailment that will likely force Porzingis to take his time getting back up to his speed.
According to Porzingis himself in an interview with ESPN, his recovery timeline will see him hopefully make a return to the Celtics’ lineup sometime in December. Notably, that would still be on the “early side” of an apparent 5-6 month recovery period for surgery for his respective injuries.
That’s all we know about Porzingis’ playing status for the time being. We’ll see how his 2024-2025 season with the Celtics develops in the months ahead.
