Why Former Wizards Big May Be Hindrance To Championship

Tyrone Montgomery | May 4, 2024

Apr 21, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (8) walks to the / Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

We live in an era of basketball where load management is a big deal. Never has there been so many missed games by players simply due to trying to avoid injury. This past season, we have seen numerous awards missed by players because of ineligibility rules due to the number of games missed. We see it, especially with bigs in the NBA. If Joel Embiid had played the required number of games this season, there's a good chance he would have been a finalist for the MVP this season.

The irony of the situation is the fact that players can load management as much as they like. However, injuries are a thing that you simply can't do anything about as they come and go on their term. Injuries happen at any given time.

Former Washington Wizard big man Kristaps Porzingis showed up for the most part during his time playing in the district. He started and played in 65 games for them last year. This season as a new member of the Boston Celtics, Porzingis only started and played in just 57 games.

No doubt, it is safe to say that he has been a perfect piece to the puzzle in Boston as they had the best record in the Eastern Conference and the entire league as well. His ability to play a hybrid role as an inside and outside presence has took this team over the top and truly made them a title contender.

However, there is one hindrance to the Celtics in their hopes of a title - Kristaps Porzingis. The big man is hurt yet again as he is now dealing with a calf injury. The good news is the Boston Celtics have made it out of the first round without him. However, the question that remains is can they advance out of the second round without him as he doesn't have a time-table for his return.

Kristaps Porzingis says there’s no specific target date for his return, but adds with a smile that he’s “expecting to recover at a historic rate.” pic.twitter.com/mJLORu0tWP

— Taylor Snow (@taylorcsnow) May 4, 2024

The Celtics are set to take on the winner of the Orlando Magic - Cleveland Cavaliers series. The good news is the fact that their series is forced to a game seven. This allows more time for rest for Kristaps Porzingis. The bad news is calf injuries tend to linger and never go away. Even if Porzingis is set to return soon, this is something he will have to deal with for the rest of the playoffs. Certainly, this may be a hindrance in their odds of a title run.