Kristaps Porzingis’ health is suddenly atop the Boston Celtics’ concerns.
When the Boston Celtics decided to include Marcus Smart in the blockbuster trade for Kristaps Porzingis, one thing became clear – the Boston Celtics were officially all-in on winning a championship in the next couple of seasons. Not that they weren’t already all-in on winning a championship, but for the first time in a while, the Celtics decided to trade a key piece of their puzzle in what they perceive to be a final piece trade.
And if they fail to be successful in their endeavor, there will be many that remember the trade that sent Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies and Kristaps to the Celtics as one of the bigger mistakes in recent team history.
So far, the early returns aren’t great. Kristaps, who was expected to play in the FIBA World Cup for Latvia, had to pull out of the festivities as he recovers from plantar fasciitis.
The Celtics say Kristaps Porzingis has been diagnosed with plantar fasciitis in his right foot and will engage in a four-to-six-week rehab program that rules him out of the @FIBAWC for Latvia. Porzingis is expected to be ready for the start of training camp.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) August 16, 2023
There’s optimism surrounding the most recent updates for Kristaps. However, the fact that he’s on a 4-6 week rehab program is not ideal. That’s not what you want to hear from a player that you just acquired and signed a two-year extension to.
Not to mention that the Celtics are set to open training camp in roughly six weeks. The hope is that Kristaps is ready for the start of training camp but considering he’s on a 4-6 wee rehab program, I’m not sure that’s a certainty.
Ideally, Kristaps will be ready to go but I’m not sure how the Celtics can be confident in that one way or another.
The Boston Celtics’ championship hopes fall on the health of Kristaps Porzingis
Whether they want to believe it or not, I find it exceedingly unlikely that the Celtics will be able to make a deep playoff run, let alone win the NBA Championship without a healthy Kristaps. Especially considering what they gave up to solidify their frontcourt next to Jayson Tatum and Robert Williams.
If Kristaps isn’t playing a big role for the Celtics this season, the decision to trade the heart and soul of the team will not only be questioned but could be the cause for some in the front office to lose their jobs.
While Tatum and Jaylen Brown may be entering the season under the most pressure to perform, you can make the strong argument that the most important player on the Celtics heading into this season will be Kristaps.
All of a sudden, the Celtics’ title hopes may rely on the health of a player that has historically not been very healthy.