Kristaps Porziņģis Gives Optimistic Update on Injury Return Ahead of Training Camp

The defending champion Boston Celtics will begin their ramp-up to the 2024-25 season a bit early, gathering this week for media day and the start of training camp before heading overseas to play the Denver Nuggets in preseason games in Abu Dhabi. The team's on-court activities will not include center Kristaps Porzingis, who is recovering from summer surgery for the ankle injury he suffered against the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals.

When announcing Porzingis's surgery in late June, the Celtics noted he was "expected" to miss five to six months, putting a return somewhere in the November-January range of this upcoming season. On Tuesday, Porzingis gave an update on that timeline to ESPN.

"The expectation is sometime in December," he told Ramona Shelburne. "But I'm feeling really good and I'm working towards hopefully playing earlier than that."

The Celtics surely hope he can get back out there as soon as possible, because they are a different team when Porzingis is active. Boston won its 18th championship largely without the former All-Star; Al Horford was able to step in as starter and the Celtics didn't miss a beat. But Porzingis's incredible Game 1 performance in the Finals shows the next level his team can reach when everybody is healthy and clicking.

While he continues to rehab, the franchise will lean on the 38-year-old Horford as heavily as ever to hold down his spot in the starting lineup. Otherwise, the Celtics declined to pursue further center depth and will use a rotation of Luke Kornet, Xavier Tillman, and Neemias Queta to back up Horford. That will be the rotation until Porzingis can get back on the floor— which, it sounds like, could be sooner than expected.