Celtics' Kristaps Porziņgis Expected to Return, Make Season Debut vs Clippers

Ricardo Klein | Nov 25, 2024

Nov 2, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis shoots before a game against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center. Porzingis is on injured reserve. Mandatory Credit: Nell Redmond-Imagn Images / Nell Redmond-Imagn Images

Boston Celtics star center Kristaps Porziņģis will make his season debut on Monday night.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Porziņģis will make his season debut on Monday night against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis plans to make his season debut tonight against the Los Angeles Clippers, sources tell ESPN. Porzingis returns five months after undergoing foot surgery. pic.twitter.com/4te4hw9N2A

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 25, 2024

Porziņģis has not played all season long as he was recovering from off-season leg surgery. Monday will be the first game he will play since Game 5 of the 2024 NBA Finals.

With Al Horford (illness) and Luke Kornet (hamstring) considered doubtful, Porzingis may immediately step into the starting lineup.

Porziņģis was scheduled to return to the court sometime in December. He will now be back weeks before that date, which tells you he is way ahead of schedule.

It's unclear if Porziņģis will be on a minutes restriction, but it is likely, considering he has not played in almost six months.

The Celtics have not missed a beat without Porziņģis in the lineup. They have a 14-3 record and are the second seed in the Eastern Conference.

Last week, Porziņģis  "reached the next phase in his recovery," and it was reported that he would return around Christmas. Instead, he is back on Monday, and the Celtics are finally fully healthy.

Porziņģis is in his second season with the Celtics. Last season, he was solid, averaging 20.1 points per game, 7.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.9 blocks while shooting 51 percent from the field and 37 percent from three in 57 games. He started in every game he played last season.

Porziņģis will enter the ninth season of his career after he was drafted No. 4 overall in the 2015 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks. He came out the gate hot, averaging 14 points per game, and finished second in Rookie for the is here voting. While he showed flashes of the player he could be, he never reached it.

Porziņģis was named a one-time All-Star in the 2017-18 season, his final in New York. After that, he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks, where he played two-plus seasons. He was then traded to the Washington Wizards, where he played one-plus season.

He is now in Boston, where he has revitalized his career and has possibly found a home. The 29-year-old is a perfect fit in Boston, and his return to the court should only make this team better.

Health has always been a concern for Porziņģis, and we'll see if he can stay healthy from here on out.

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