The Boston Celtics may have to survive the first part of the NBA season without Kristaps Porzingis.
Coming off one of the most dominant championship runs in recent history, the Boston Celtics will be in a great position to repeat as NBA Champions. However, if there's one variable that could put Boston's championship hopes in jeopardy this season, it's the lack of health - something they're already dealing with. After suffering a rare ankle injury in the NBA Finals, Kristaps Porzingis remains on the mend and is still months away from a return to the basketball floor.
According to Celtics president of basketball operations, KP is progressing well but "it's going to be a while" before he returns. This is not that surprising but also eliminates any shot that he'll be ready for the start of the season. KP is projected to return 5-6 months after surgery, which would put his return window between December and January.
With how talented and deep the Celtics' roster is, that may not be that big of a hurdle for the team to clear heading into the start of the season.
What will life be like for the Boston Celtics without Kristaps Porzingis?
From a macro perspective, the Celtics should be fine without KP for a while. As we witnessed during their their historic playoff run, Boston still has the top-tier talent and depth to win a championship even without KP. However, over the course of a season, you'd have to imagine that if they're going to replicate the dominance they had last year, they're going to need KP back at some point.
With how dangerous the Celtics may be even without KP, this team is going to be that much more deadly if KP is able to return at the midway point of the season at full strength. Can you imagine the level of boost he'll be able to provide the Celtics? And if Boston is already having another strong season, the return of KP could end up being the final piece to push this team over the hump in their attempt to win a second-straight NBA Championship.
In some respects, this injury could end up being a blessing in disguise for both KP and the Celtics. With KP's reported timeline, the Celtics may not start hitting their peak until March and April. That could be a scary sight for the rest of the league.