Shams Charania says there’s ‘definitely optimism’ that Kristaps Porzingis will be ready for Game 1
"There are still some hurdles, I'm told, that he has to clear before he can play in Game 1 of the Finals but there's of course hope."
Kristaps Porzingis has been out a month with a calf strain suffered during Game 4 of the Miami series, and there is hope that the gap between now and the beginning of the NBA Finals could provide enough rest for him to make a return.
There are still obstacles on Pozingis’s road to recovery, NBA insider Shams Charania said during a recent episode of FanDuel’s “Run It Back,” but the Celtics center appears to be making progress.
“There’s definitely hope. There’s definitely optimism,” Charania said. “There are still some hurdles, I’m told, that he has to clear before he can play in Game 1 of the Finals but there’s of course hope that this next week-plus will give him the time that he needs to ramp up and get ready for that Game 1 next Thursday against likely the Mavericks.”
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said Wednesday morning during an interview with 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Zolak & Bertrand that he’s not sure if Porzingis will be ready by then.
“I do know that he ramped it up on the court a little bit,” Mazzulla said. “I do know, like I’ve said, he’s working really, really hard. There were a couple shootarounds where he hadn’t done anything with the team but he’s been in a 1-on-1 setting kind of ramping up the intensity level of it. So, I know he’s getting better and better.”
The Celtics have gone 9-1 without Porzingis this postseason and are fresh off of a series sweep of Indiana in the Eastern Conference Finals. However, the Celtics’ opponents have had bad injury luck of their own with Jimmy Butler missing the entire Heat series, and Donovan Mitchell and Tyrese Haliburton each missing multiple games during the Cavaliers and Pacers series.
The Mavericks’ and Timberwolves’ stars are healthy, and could present a different challenge than the Celtics have faced all postseason.
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