Kristaps Porzingis, the Boston Celtics’ starting center, made an unexpected return to action after undergoing offseason leg surgery, playing in a dominant 126-94 victory over the L.A. Clippers on Monday.
In an interview with NBC Sports Boston, Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens revealed that even he was surprised by how quickly the veteran big man bounced back. Porzingis missed the first 17 games of the season but was able to return much sooner than anticipated.
The Celtics managed to not only survive but thrive in his absence. Al Horford, the 38-year-old former five-time All-Star, filled in for Porzingis, starting 14 games. However, Horford has recently been sidelined with an illness. In Porzingis’ stead, Horford posted averages of 10.1 points on efficient shooting splits (.495/.446/1.000), along with 5.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 0.9 steals and blocks per game. The team excelled during this stretch, going 14-3 without their star center.
Stevens admitted that the team did not initially realize how quickly Porzingis would return. However, his progress in training camp and his performance in Abu Dhabi gave a clear indication that he would be ahead of schedule. “When we saw him in Abu Dhabi, the way he was moving and feeling, it was clear he’d be on the earlier side of his recovery timeline,” Stevens said.
In his first game back, the 7-foot-2 former All-Star delivered 16 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 assists, and 1 steal, shooting 6-of-12 from the field (including 1-of-6 from three-point range) and 3-of-4 from the free-throw line.
Stevens discussed the challenges of Porzingis’ recovery, emphasizing the importance of not only physical rehab but also conditioning to be able to handle longer stretches of play. “You have to re-ramp up, go through rehab steps, and recondition your body to handle extended minutes,” Stevens explained.
In preparation for his return, Porzingis participated in scrimmages with the Maine Celtics, Boston’s G League affiliate, the previous week. “He’s been doing a lot. We assigned him to Maine last week,” Stevens shared, noting that Porzingis played 32 minutes in scrimmages both Monday and Thursday before making his return on Monday. The team had been confident in his readiness for the comeback for about a week prior.
