Is Porzingis close to returning? The C’s big man is “hiding”, says Forsberg

Is Porzingis close to returning? The C’s big man is “hiding,” says Forsberg appeared first NBC cancels Boston

The Boston Celtics have an ace and they won’t have to wait much longer to play him.

Kristaps Porzingis Center underwent surgery to repair a retinaculum and posterior tibial tendon tear after the NBA Finals in June, and at the time, The Celtics announced that he was able to Return to the game in 5-6 months.It will be in November or December.

Well, it’s now mid-November and Porzingis was spotted working out on the court Wednesday night before the Celtics’ game against the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center.

After the game – 139-114 Victoria of Boston – Celtics guard Chris Forsberg puts Porzingis’ performance into encouraging context.

“KP is hiding,” Forsberg told NBC Sports Boston host Kayla Burton. Post Celtics. “I will say this: what he is doing in the warm-up is very similar to what we saw in the playoffs (maybe a step away) when he was fit enough to face Dallas. “

Porzingis suffered a foot injury in the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs against the Miami Heat, but continued his rehabilitation over the following weeks and He was able to play Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Forsberg sees parallels between Porzingis’ rehab work in the playoffs and his work on the court now, which could mean the big man isn’t far off to return

“It’s easy to forget, as good as the Celtics are, they’re getting this 7-foot-2 guy back who’s going to make them very different,” Forsberg said. “So when I see him out tonight, calm and smiling as always, coming off the field and dunking, it’s a good sign.”

The stakes are much lower than the NBA Finals in mid-November, so don’t be surprised if the Celtics are taking a conservative approach to Porzingis’ return. The team went 10-3 and 13 games without him this season and 10-2 last season without him, so they’ve found ways to be successful in his absence.

That said, the Celtics are undoubtedly better when Porzingis is on the court, and his return for a strong team would be very welcome. There were issues with backboards and paint protection earlier this season..

“You start thinking about what they’ve been through, the glass and things like that, and sometimes when the offense slows down, for example, everything calms down,” Forsberg said. “…There’s another level to this team that looks great, even on nights like this.”

For more on Forsberg and Kayla Burton on Porzingis, check out the video player above.