More on Kristaps Porzingis Injury
Mark Followill: Porzingis after his 1st full practice today: "I felt good out there, moving around & feeling the contact. After practice I played some 1-on-1s. I wanna get back into rhythm of playing against contact. The next step is getting right to be able to step on the court & play a game."
Eddie Sefko: Rick Carlisle says sometime in the next two weeks is not unrealistic for a Porzingis return. Won't be Wednesday against Charlotte.
Tim MacMahon: Kristaps Porzingis was "a full go" in the Mavericks' practice today, Rick Carlisle said.
Brad Townsend: Carlise said today that Porzingis continues to progress, today he was cleared for some 5-on-zero work. He's still not going to play until January at soonest, but the plan is for him to accompany the Mavs to Phoenix and L.A. and take part in the at-least one practice on the trip.
Dwain Price: KP: "We were in rhythm and I felt good out there. That’s why it sucks that there was a setback like this. But I feel like it’s just a small, small bump in the road. I’ll bounce back from this in no time and I believe I’ll be able to pick that rhythm up right where I left off." pic.twitter.com/KPOAhuqBEF
Dwain Price: KP had left knee ACL surgery on 2/13/18 and didn't play again until 10/23/19. He also had right knee meniscus tear surgery on 10/9/20. How does the 2 compare? KP: "This is a much easier rehab, I would say, than the ACL one that I went through. I'll be back from this in no time." pic.twitter.com/DE7iZCHjzm
Dwain Price: Porzingis on rebounding from the meniscus tear surgery to his right knee: "The way I was playing (after ACL surgery), I was feeling the best I’ve felt in my career. I think that shows that if I was able to come back from that, then this little thing is nothing compared to it." pic.twitter.com/Psg3qAns05
Dwain Price: Porzingis told me he doesn't have a timetable on when he'll be able to play in a game. "The only thing I know is that I’m recovering well, and that’s the most important thing. We’ll see. I would like to start as soon as possible and I’m doing all the things necessary to do that." pic.twitter.com/tEvhhWjvhC
Dwain Price: Here's what Porzingis just told me about his rehab. "I think I’m pretty close to being able to get some shots up. We’re just taking it easy, we’re taking our time, but I’m pretty much there and I can’t wait to start doing more stuff. But I have to be smart, I have to be patient." pic.twitter.com/UtMVbHSqUD
Tim MacMahon: The Mavs have targeted Jan. 1 as the date that Kristaps Porzingis will be cleared for on-court activity, president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson tells ESPN. Nelson revealed on @1053thefan today that Porzingis (knee surgery) will be sidelined to start the season.
Mavericks star Kristaps Porzingis will not be ready when the NBA season resumes on Dec. 22, GM and President of Basketball Operations Donnie Nelson said Monday on 105.3 The Fan.
Marc Stein: The Mavericks' Kristaps Porzingis has undegone surgery to repair a meniscus tear in his right knee, according to the team
Sources have told ESPN that the Mavs are optimistic that Porzingis will be able to participate in training camp, which will begin at an undetermined date due to the uncertainty of next season's NBA schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Porzingis suffered the injury during the Mavs' Game 1 loss to the LA Clippers. He played in the next two games of the series before the stiffness and soreness in the knee forced him to be sidelined the remainder of the first-round series.
T.O. Souryal, the Mavericks' former longtime team doctor, isn’t ready to decry the 25-year-old Porzingis' durability, longevity or potential. Instead, Porzingis' latest setback might be a product of the evolution of the center position and his touch-heavy, versatile fit in the Mavericks' scheme. “Anytime you have a star player with multiple injuries, especially to both knees, it’s a little troubling,” Souryal said. “But he seems to have come back from his ACL stronger than ever, so that injury’s behind us now. Each one of these injuries should be taken on its own merit.”
The play of centers more often looks like that of guards, so it’s no coincidence, Souryal said, that their list of injuries — such as ankle sprains and knee ligament tears — can, too. “[Porzingis] plays more similar to a Luka than the traditional center, [who were] not so agile, not very quick, not very fast,” Souryal said. “Physics really comes into play now. You know, the velocity of the movement, it does make you susceptible to injury, and it’s not so much Kristaps. It’s anyone who moves that fast, plants that quick, jumps that rapidly.”
With surgery possible after the repair of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, Porzingis will face questions about his durability until the 7-foot-3 Latvian proves otherwise. "I can't really be too worried about that," he said. "Both of them were contact injuries. What I can do is just focus on the work that I can put it to make sure that I decrease the possibility of that happening. That means strengthening everything and trying to do all the preventative work I can. That's in my hands. I can't be too frustrated over these type of things."
Tim MacMahon: The Mavs are leaving the door open to Kristaps Porzingis potentially returning in the playoffs if they're able to pull off a major upset over the Clippers. Porzingis' treatment plan at this point includes PRP injections.
Chris Mannix: Porzingis says he hurt his knee in Game 1 of this series. Played through it in Game 2. Pain was unbearable in Game 3. Says if the Mavericks advance, he is hoping the knee is well enough to play. No plans to leave the bubble.
Andrew Greif: Dallas' Rick Carlisle says Kristaps Porzingis "desperately wants to play" in Game 6 but the coach added he isn't optimistic. "He doesn't want to close the door on playing but I'm just not optimistic watching how this is going. We won't know for sure until tomorrow."
Callie Caplan: Per TNT's broadcast, Kristaps Porzingis thinks his right knee soreness developed because of a "contact situation" in Game 1 before he was ejected.
Marc Stein: Dallas' Kristaps Porzingis (knee) has been listed as OUT for tonight's Game 5 against the Clippers
Mark Medina: Rick Carlisle said Porzingis will get an MRI later today
JD Shaw: Kristaps Porzingis will miss today’s game against the Clippers due to right knee soreness, the Mavericks announce.
Brad Townsend: Porzingis and Burke will play, Carlisle confirms.
Kellan Olson: Porzingis downgraded to doubtful
Brad Townsend: Porzingis speaks about his broken nose. Yes, I’m the guy who joningly asked if he was worried about his good looks. Actually, his nose looks crooked now.
Tim MacMahon: Rick Carlisle: “Porzingis is scheduled to play. He’s looking forward to playing.” He says Porzingis will play in shorter stints than normal.
Even though the Mavericks aren’t publicly expressing this concern, at least not after a game in which Doncic registered 25 points, a career-high 17 assists and 15 rebounds, their fans certainly expressed alarm on social media — while Knicks fans unleashed a collective I-told-you-so. “We’ll see,” Carlisle said. "Hopefully he feels better tomorrow and we’ll just continue to move forward and hope he continues to feel better. He was doing real well on a day-to-day basis. It just didn’t feel quite right before the game. “So we’re not messing with it.”
“Just a little bit of pain in certain movements,” Porzingis said. “Didn’t feel that good out there. Casey made the decision to take some more time. “It felt great yesterday. I had a solid workout, 25 or 30 minutes. Felt good. Didn’t feel any sharp pain or anything like that. And today I kind of felt it a little bit when I started warming up. I felt it more and more and I told the medical staff.”
Tim MacMahon: Kristaps Porzingis remains listed as questionable on the official NBA injury report for tonight’s game at Golden State. I’m told it’s more likely that Porzingis, who has missed last seven games due to right knee soreness, returns tomorrow night at Sacramento.
Tim MacMahon: I’m told it’s likely that Kristaps Porzingis misses one more game due to his sore right knee, but he’s expected to return next week.
Brad Townsend: Carlisle on Porzingis debut: “I know he’s ready. He’s excited to get back out there. I just want to see him play within our system and just get him out there, really. He’s put an amazing amount of time, effort and diligence into his rehab.”
Alan Hahn: Porzingis looks tanned and chiseled in Dallas. Confirmed he never planned to play in 2018-19. "In my mind, I always wanted to come back when I was 110% and I didn't want to halfway do it." He's gained 20 lbs since rookie year. youtube.com/watch?v=0-EupH…
The Mavericks opened training camp Tuesday with about as much good health as a team can realistically expect. J.J. Barea, who missed the last half of the 2018-19 season after rupturing his right Achilles tendon, went through virtually all of the first practice session. Kristaps Porzingis, last year’s blockbuster addition who missed the entire season after major knee surgery, was a full participant. And Tim Hardaway Jr., who had left tibia surgery for a stress reaction that cut his 2018-19 season short by 11 games, also had no limitations.
Dallas Mavericks power forward Kristaps Porzingis said he feels "probably better than I ever have in my life" and will have no limitations entering training camp, almost 20 months after he tore the ACL in his left knee in the last NBA game that he played.
Dwain Price: Carlisle on Porzingis' health: "He’s doing extremely well. He’s played in virtually every pickup game in preseason along with practicing with us the last month-and-a-half last season. And so at this point he’s doing very well. He has a lot of great qualities with his skill set."
The still photos of a much-more-muscular Porzingis has whetted Mavericks fans’ appetites for the upcoming season. Mavericks players, of course, have scrimmaging with and against Porzingis in the flesh. “He’s very good,” Powell said with a laugh. "He’s very, very good. I’m excited, very excited.”
What has most stood out in the play of Porzingis, who has not appeared in an NBA game since tearing the anterior cruciate in his left knee on Feb. 6, 2018? “He’s 7-foot-3 and he shoots it from anywhere, with ease. It’s kind of hard to affect that shot. He’s moving well, he’s at full-strength.” Powell paused. Another laugh. “He’s looking very good out there. We’re all very excited.”
Dwain Price: Dirk on Porzingis: "I ran into him a few days ago in the gym. Yeah, he looks good. I watched him work out a little bit. He’s got the deep ball, he’s got all of the in-between game, so he’ll be a great weapon for us. We can’t wait to see what he’s going to look like." @Dirk Nowitzki
What are your thoughts on Porzingis using the summer to go out and effectively get stronger? LUKA: He’s getting ready. He’s been on the court a lot of time. He just wants to get out there and just play.
Meanwhile, the last Knicks franchise player to be recovering from a major injury was Kristaps Porzingis and his rehab created friction between the team and the player. According to a team source, the Knicks front office wasn’t in favor of Porzingis’ long-time Spanish physiotherapist, Manolo Valdivieso, traveling with the team. The Knicks wanted to keep Porzingis’ rehab in-house and since they made it known that Valdivieso was not welcomed on road trips, Porzingis elected to remain in New York and work with his hand-picked trainer.
Two weeks before that crucial injury, Porzingis was named to the Eastern Conference All-Star team as his star was on a definite incline. Porzingis hasn’t played since sustaining that injury and was subsequently traded to the Mavs on Jan. 31. “Right now it’s really about his health and getting him 100 percent healthy, 100 percent strong and preparing him for an entire NBA season,” Carlisle told LETA. “He’s done an awful lot of work over the last two years since the injury. “He’s worked really hard since coming to us in February, and so we feel like he’s going to be able to be 100 percent and be ready to go come training camp.”
Dwain Price: Carlisle on Kristaps Porzingis practicing with the Mavs' first unit today: "KP got some good work with the first group, so it was very good. (But) he’s not playing in any games this year. That’s been the plan all along." @Dallas Mavericks #Mavs
Tim MacMahon: Mark Cuban, asked his expectations for Kristaps Porzingis next season: “To f—info crush it. We’re looking for The Unicorn to unicii. I don’t know if that’s a word, but that’s what we expect.”
Porzingis, who will be a restricted free agent that the Mavs plan to sign to a five-year, $158 million maximum contract this summer, is preparing to help Dallas end a three-year playoff drought next season. "For me personally, the goal is to take that first step at least and make the playoffs," Porzingis said. "I want to experience that. I want to get that first feel. I understand that we're not going to win a championship in one year, but that is the end goal. But in my mind, we have to take that first step: make the playoffs, see how far we can get in the playoffs, get that first experience, get that first taste. Then take the next step and make the right moves towards that next step."
Porzingis said he plans to be active in recruiting free agents to sign with the Mavs, who created the salary cap space to be aggressive shoppers this summer by trading forward Harrison Barnes to the Kings soon after dealing for Porzingis.
"I'm not going to rush anything," Porzingis said. "Of course I want to play. Three months out of the surgery, I was like, I think I can start playing maybe. It's been on my mind the whole time. I'm really proud of myself for staying this patient with the knee and taking my time. There hasn't been a lot of cases of a 7-3 guy tearing his ACL. The good thing about the injury is it was a contact injury. If it was not a contact injury, that would be much more dangerous for me. But it was a contact injury. That means my body mechanics are fine.”
Marc Stein: Coupla Dallas-based Unicorns warming up in Oakland ...
Brad Townsend: Asked @mcuban whether the door might be slightly ajar now for @kporzee to play this season. His one-word response: "No." That answers that.
Mike Fisher: ALERT: We suggested right after trade that Porzingis would soon engage in a real #Mavs practice. 'Soon' is NOW. The rehabbing 7-3 talent tells TNT that tomorrow will be his first 5-on-5 practice.
All that said, a lot of the fan base has wondered if the Mavericks’ stance on Porzingis sitting out would change ‘IF’ the team ended up making it to the postseason over this last stretch of games. Would getting hot late tempt them to change their minds? According to Mavs owner Mark Cuban, the answer to that question is ‘no.’ "He is (still) out," Cuban tells me on Monday afternoon, and than means regardless of what happens with the Mavs the rest of this season. While some might question the Mavs’ thinking there, I can understand where they’re coming from. If Dallas makes the postseason, there will have to be some excellent basketball played during this final 25-game stretch. If that happens, the team would be playing well enough that inserting Porzingis into the equation “cold turkey” wouldn’t make much sense, and might actually hurt their chemistry at that point.
Although the Dallas Mavericks have already acknowledged that Kristaps Porzingis won’t play in any games until next season, that hasn’t stopped them from laying the groundwork on what to expect from the 7-3 power forward. “Yesterday I had a chance to meet with Kristaps about how we see his role developing here,” coach Rick Carlisle said after Saturday’s practice at the Lympo practice facilities. “We showed him some film, we showed him some things involving Dirk (Nowitzki), some things involving some of the other top big men in the league that can play both outside and inside.”
“He’s doing strength work, rehab work and leg work, court work, and as time goes along those things will ramp up,” Carlisle said. “The transition has been very good, very seamless. He’s right into the swing of things. We have great medical, we have great training people, we have great strength and athletic performance people, we have a great situation. I believe that he feels that way based on the last eight or nine days.”
