While the Celtics aren’t at full strength through the opening games of the regular season, injured big man Kristaps Porzingis has been around the team plenty. He’s often dressed in street clothes as his 7-foot-2 frame is hard to miss on the C’s bench.
Injured players don’t necessarily stick and travel with the team while they’re rehabbing, choosing to do so on their own terms. But Porzingis has been around the team plenty thus far, which C’s coach Joe Mazzulla praised after the Celtics’ win over the Nets on Wednesday.
“I think that’s important, especially for a guy that’s not playing, to be as engaged as he is,” Mazzulla said in Brooklyn, via NBC Sports Boston. “Makes it easier as he starts to come back to plug him right in because he’s been here the whole time. That’s a commitment.
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“It’s hard to sit there day in and day out to do that. I appreciate that he does that. I think it brings a level of professionalism and togetherness to our locker room, and it’s been fun to watch.”
Mazzulla said Porzingis has made “good progress” in his rehab process thus far, though he didn’t go into more detail. The big man has been seen going through workouts during pregame warmups, showing off how far he’s come since his offseason surgery. There’s still no timetable for his return as Porzingis was expected to be back in December at the earliest, though there’s still plenty of time left in the season.
Porzingis needed surgery on his rare foot injury he suffered during the NBA Finals. The Celtics knew that as the injury-prone big man has had some trouble staying healthy throughout his career. It’s why the C’s re-signed their trio of reserve big men in Luke Kornet, Neemias Queta and Xavier Tillman.
The Celtics have cruised to a 10-3 record thus far, though there have been some recent struggles. Regardless, all of their early games come with the context that they’re still missing their talented big man who unlocks their game on both ends of the court. Porzingis showed his gamebreaking talent last year, where he spaces the floor and protects the rim. And soon, the Celtics will be whole again.
“KP, he was very verbal tonight,” Jaylen Brown told reporters. “He was in his like coaching bag, telling different guys what he was seeing out there. That’s a good sign. That’s a good signal that he’s getting close, he’s getting ready. But his mind and spirit is out there with us, and we can’t wait to welcome him back.”
