The Boston Celtics may have to play without Kristaps Porzingis following reports that he is dealing with a left calf injury.
The Latvian center suffered the injury last November 24 against the Orlando Magic. According to Celtics coach Joe Mazulla in a report by Jared Weiss of The Athletic, Porzingis will be re-evaluated in about a week.
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Kristaps Porzingis's injury may hinder Celtics' early success
The fourth overall pick of the 2015 NBA Draft was off to a good start this season with the Celtics, his fourth team since entering the league. In 15 games, Porzingis' stats showed him averaging 18.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.7 blocks.
It is also one reason why the Celtics now tote a 13-4 win-loss record in the Eastern Conference, the best in the league. It remains to be seen if the Porzingis injury will affect the Cs' run in the next few games.
Here are some scenarios that the Celtics may face if the Porzingis' injury turns serious.
The Celtics cannot rely on Porzingis' return
Although the Celtics appeared to be fine without Porzingis, the landscape will be different moving forward. Al Horford did step up in his place against the Hawks (113-103) last November 26 and the Bulls (124-97) on Tuesday, November 28, NBA.com reported. However, the difficulty level may differ once the Cs face more talented teams.
One of those is coming up this Friday, December 1. The Celtics face their Eastern Conference rival, the Philadelphia 76ers, so the Cs defense will be in for a tough night trying to stop Joel Embiid, among others.
Boston owns a defensive rating of 107.1, and the absence of Porzingis will be telling. Without the Latvian, the Celtics will miss his 6.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per contest, per Statmuse.com.
Hence, the defense will be something to watch for the Celtics rather than their offense in their upcoming games. Horford is holding up, but the question is, how long?
Porzingis' return from injury may hurt the Celtics
Porzingis has proven to be a good addition, but injuries could tell on the Celtics. It is nothing new for the 7-foot-2 player since he has his share of being sidelined in the past.
Assuming he returns, will it guarantee a smooth-flowing offense for the Celtics? Head coach Joe Mazzulla may have big decisions to make, one that could disrupt their chemistry and flow.
Horford is buying Porzingis time, and he proved that against the Hawks, per CBS Sports. But at his age, most know that the Dominican can only do so much, and his stint is seen more as a short-term fix.
Porzingis's calf injury is something new for the Latvian
Although Porzingis has battled back from various injuries, it would be best to note that his calf injury is the first in his career, the Boston Herald pointed out. So, depending on how his evaluation goes, the Celtics need to be careful as far as activating and fielding him in the game.
Hence, the Celtics could reach a point of deciding whether to take the risk or think long-term. Porzingis is in the first year of his two-year $60 million contract extension with the Celtics, something that will keep him there until the 2025-26 season, ABC news reported.
Hence, it all boils down to two things - take the risk and play Porzingis now or wait longer for him to heal properly with the next couple of years under consideration.
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