Celtics Issue Sobering Update After Kristaps Porzingis’ Surgery
It’ll be a while before Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis returns to the court.
The C’s issued an update on his status Thursday, revealing he underwent successful surgery to repair a torn retinaculum and dislocated posterior tibialis tendon.
It’s obviously good news that Porzingis’ surgery went well, but he isn’t expected to return to play for five to six months.
Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens revealed the disappointing reality of the situation earlier in the week, confirming the 28-year-old would miss at least the start of next season. It wasn’t clear how long that would be, but the current timeline should keep him out until early December.
Boston hasn’t necessarily missed Porzingis across his numerous absences since joining the club, but it’s certainly not an ideal situation. Xavier Tillman and Luke Kornet are both set to enter free agency, meaning there’s little to no depth behind Al Horford at this point.
The Celtics don’t have much money to spend, so they might have to get creative to fill those early-season minutes. Neemias Queta is under contract, so perhaps he can take a step forward and carry some of that load.
Porzingis’ return should be a nice present for fans, but there’s now some uncertainty about the plan leading up to December.