Boston Celtics get huge Kristaps Porzingis update as he inches closer to return

The defending champion Boston Celtics get good news on the injury front as Kristaps Porzingis inches closer toward his return to the floor.

Even though the Boston Celtics managed to win the 2024 NBA Championship with a hobbled Kristaps Porzingis, who was in and out of the lineup all throughout the postseason, much of the team's hopes of repeating as champions rely on the health of their starting big man. The Celtics have proven to be a good team even without KP. But if the start of this season is any indication, they're not nearly as special as they are when he's in the lineup.

If the Celtics are going to repeat, especially with how good the Cleveland Cavaliers have looked to begin the season, they're going to need a healthy KP. And the good news for the Celtics is that KP is entering the next stage of his rehab process. The Celtics announced Monday that KP was going to be assigned to the Main Celtics, the team's G League affiliation, so he can get a practice in. This was always going to be the next step for KP as he inches closer to a return.

Shortly after the Celtics won the title, KP underwent surgery to repair an injury he suffered in the NBA Finals. The initial recovery timeline for KP was 4-5 months. That means he's getting closer and closer to a potential return. At this point, it wouldn't be surprising to see him being slowly integrated back into the rotation by the end of the year. However, the first step toward that happening is getting in practice time. It appears the Celtics are trying to get him as many reps as they can with this decision.

How the Boston Celtics have fared without Kristaps Porzingis

The Celtics have navigated through the first month of the season relatively fine without KP in the lineup. Sure, there are times when they've sorely missed his presence in the frontcourt, especially with how thin they are at the moment. But, overall, the Celtics have cruised through the first few weeks. If it wasn't for the Cavs historic start to the season, Boston would probably be sitting atop the conference standings.

But even with Cleveland's red-hot start to the year, the Celtics have to feel good about where they are through the first handful of games of the season. And when KP is able to fully return, he will certainly help spark this team down the stretch. For a team that will be trying to repeat, playing their best basketball at the right time has to be considered much more important than getting off to a hot start to the season. As KP inches closer and closer to a return, that has to be the Celtics' hope at the moment.