Update: Kristaps Porzingis will be available off the bench for the Celtics in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Perhaps no player in the 2024 NBA Finals has had a more interesting road to get to where he is today than Boston Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis.
Once the No. 4 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, the Latvian-born center was named an All-Star in 2018 while on the New York Knicks. It seemed like the beginning of a promising career in New York, but after various injuries, it did not work out for him on the Knicks.
He has since bounced around to other teams, including the Dallas Mavericks, before eventually finding a home with the Celtics. If he he is at full health, he is one of the most important players in this series.
It is rare for someone his size to shoot as well as he can for Boston.
Boston’s Kristaps Porzingis (calf) has completed multiple scrimmages in recent days and is expected to return to action for Game 1 of the NBA Finals vs. Dallas on Thursday night barring setback, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Porzingis has been sidelined since April 29. pic.twitter.com/3kdyvJQyqt
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 4, 2024
Porzingis, however, has not played since April 29 as he continues recovering from a calf injury that has kept him sidelined during the postseason. But he is expected to return for Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Mavericks.
It is unclear, though, if he is 100 percent recovered from the lingering injury.
If he plays well, he is a “matchup nightmare” for Dallas and a potential X-factor for Boston. But if he struggles, the Celtics will have to rely on depth in their frontcourt.
Expect to see Porzingis give it a go as the series begins before the medical staff eventually decides if should continue with the rest of the NBA Finals or not. But given his road to get to where he is today, it’s not surprising that he’ll at least try.
