Return Of Kristaps Porzingis To Celtics Reportedly ‘Lurking’

November 14, 2024

The Celtics are reigning NBA champions and are off to a pretty good start already. And wouldn’t you know it, but more help may be on the way.

That’s because forward Kristaps Porzingis may be nearing a return and his season debut, per Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston.

Porzingis suffered a leg injury in the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs against the Heat, but was able to play in Game 1 of the Finals against the Mavericks. Forsberg indicated he sees similarities between Porzingis’ rehab and ramp-up to play in those playoffs and in this regular season.

“KP is lurking,” Forsberg told co-host Kayla Burton on NBC Sports Boston. “I’ve been saying this: What he’s doing in warmups is very similar to what we saw during the playoffs — maybe even a step beyond that — when he got in good enough shape to get out there against Dallas for a game.”

That said, the Celtics are off to a 10-3 start behind the likes of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Jrue Holiday and Payton Pritchard. So while Porzingis acts as a cheat code, it’s only natural for Boston to take a conservative approach to his return.

But if there’s one area in which the Celtics have been less-than-stellar, it’s been defending the paint. And maybe rebounding.

“You start thinking about what they’ve struggled with, the glass and stuff like that, just sometimes when the offense goes cold, like, all those things are going to be alleviated,” Forsberg said. “… There’s another level that this team will go to, even on nights like this when they look amazing.”