He had the potential to help the Celtics reach new heights when he joined Boston, but his injury history has always been a cause for concern.
When Porzingis’ name appeared on the injury report for Wednesday’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers due to a “knee contusion,” those worries were allayed. Joel Embiid and Jaylen Brown could also miss the highly anticipated game, but this isn’t the first time fans have worried about Porzingis’ health—most notably, when a foot problem surfaced during the FIBA World Cup.
However, Porzingis attempted to alleviate concerns heading into the matchup against the 76ers.
“I got it on the (Julius) Randle drive,” Porzingis told reporters, per MassLive. “Just got hit just like a contusion. Nothing too serious but it’s a bit stiff.”
Boston beat the New York Knicks on Monday, but the C’s center depth only goes as far as Al Horford and Luke Kornet, so Porzingis will be needed for the Celtics to reach their ceiling. It’s why the All-Star big could take a night off.
“That’s another thing, medical staff, they want to be smart about these things,” Porzingis said. “You know, we have to play the long game and know not to force something now, that’s not maybe as necessary. It’s most important that towards the end of the season, that’s when we need to be on and healthy and that’s what they’re making sure of. So I’m just, you know, following the orders.”
It would allay worries about Porzingis’ probable absence if Embiid missed the second night of a back-to-back, but it’s evident that even ten games into a season can have a significant impact on the NBA.
