Porzingis returns to the lineup for the first time since the NBA Finals.
Kristaps Porzingis will make his season debut tonight versus the Los Angeles Clippers, per ESPN’s Shams Charania. Porzingis returns five months after undergoing foot surgery for the first time since helping the Celtics capture Banner 18 in the 2024 NBA Finals.
Boston will get a massive boost from Porzingis’ shot creation and rim protection, with Jayson Tatum recently describing his missing teammate as the team’s “cheat code”. The Celtics had struggled to fill in the center position in his absence, needing both to manage Al Horford’s minutes and rotate between Luke Kornet and Neemias Queta. The latter got the lion’s share of minutes lately but has struggled with finishing at the rim and defending the pick-and-roll.
His return will come as surprising to many given prior reports. Initial speculation slated Porzingis to return sometime around Christmas, and with Boston looking to defend their title, there didn’t seem to be a reason to rush him back to the lineup.
However, reports earlier this season suggested Porzingis’ recovery was going better than expected. He began rehabilitating with Boston’s Maine affiliate just over a week ago. Sitting at 14-3 in an average-at-best Eastern Conference, it is unlikely the Celtics would risk Porzingis long-term health if they did not believe he was fully healthy.
With Porzingis at maximum output, the Celtics go from a top-level contender to a borderline-unbeatable juggernaut, presenting teams with too many offensive problems to realistically solve in 48 minutes. The Clippers will be the first team to give it a try Monday night.