BOSTON — With each passing game, it’s clear Kristaps Porzingis looks more and more like his normal self. He poured in 19 points and eight rebounds in his 30 minutes as the Celtics beat the Pistons on Thursday to get to 20-5 on the season.
But it’s a process to get back into game shape coming off multiple months of surgery rehab. Porzingis has played in six games since coming back Nov. 25 against the Clippers, so he’s gotten some run under him. Still, it doesn’t sound like he’s all the way back to his normal self — he’s close, though.
“I was three months without really being able to go up and down, like really get some really good cardio in,” Porzingis said. “That also plays a role obviously. I think a couple more games and I’ll be where I need to be.”
- BETTING: Check out our MA sports betting guide, where you can learn basic terminology, definitions and how to read odds for those interested in learning how to bet in Massachusetts.
NBA players often talk about how there’s nothing that can simulate game speed. That’s natural considering these are the best basketball players in the world playing against each other on a nightly basis. Porzingis also mentioned how he couldn’t do anything after surgery over the summer.
While Porzingis has played well in his return, the team continues to be cautious with their talented big man. He won’t play in back-to-backs for the foreseeable future. Fortunately, the chemistry hasn’t missed a beat — especially with Jaylen Brown as they’ve been dubbed “cookies and cream.”
The Celtics are still a juggernaut through the opening months of the season. They’ve done a large part of their damage without Porzingis part of the fold, but it’s clear what the big man brings to both ends of the court.
He’s a reliable post-up presence and doubly dangerous when working against smaller defenders, much like he did in the Pistons win. His rim protection is also massive as teams have to adjust whenever they get too close to Porzingis. So the Celtics will hope they can unleash Porzingis at his best, though he looks a lot like the gamebreaking talent they traded for two summers ago.
“I’m getting there,” Porzingis said. “Honestly, I was before this, I’m always better when I’m in a rhythm of games. Now we have again, like three days off, so it’s almost like it takes me one game to get back to open up my lungs a little bit more.”
