Boston Celtics heart Kristaps Porzingis will seemingly miss “the very begin” of the 2024-25 season following surgical procedure this summer season on his left leg, president of basketball operations Brad Stevens stated on “The Ryen Russillo Podcast.”
Porzingis suffered a torn retinaculum and dislocated posterior tibialis tendon through the NBA Finals, one thing the Celtics referred to as a “uncommon” damage. Porzingis missed Video games 3 and 4 of the Finals however performed by way of the damage in Recreation 5, serving to Boston win its file 18th NBA championship.
It was introduced Tuesday that Porzingis would endure surgical procedure and miss this summer season’s Olympics. A timeline for his return has but to be decided, however Porzingis stated earlier this month that the restoration course of might take a “few months.”
“Kristaps, after his surgical procedure, we do not know precisely when he’ll be again,” Stevens informed Russillo in an episode revealed Wednesday. “However, you recognize, he’ll in all probability miss at the very least the very begin of the season.”
Porzingis was a key acquisition for the Celtics final summer season, averaging 20.1 factors and seven.2 rebounds within the common season. Nevertheless he performed in simply seven complete playoff video games between a calf pressure he suffered within the first spherical and his damage within the Finals.
Stevens stated probably not having the Lithuanian large man to begin the yr provides Boston an opportunity to experiment.
“And in order that’ll be an excellent alternative for us to do issues completely different and have to seek out completely different options and people forms of issues that include it,” Stevens stated.
The Related Press contributed to this story.