Porzingis injury updates (Update: Dislocated Tendon)

[keevsnick]

I've always expected they'll be cautious with him, so if he's back by game 4 at the 4 week mark I'm assuming that he's fully healed and that there's simply no further benefit to him sitting out additional games.

Obviously there's no way to know, but there is a point with muscle injuries when the injury is simply 100% healed and that that point another week of sitting doesn't have any point. If he's at that point he should play becasue there is some benefit to game reps.

If the C's are up 2-1 by game 4 I just can't see the Celtics playing him unless he's 100% ready.

[Roy H.]

What you seem to be advocating is asking him to play in a weakened condition, instead of taking some extra time to rehab.  And, we've seen what happens when KP plays in a weakened condition.  The guy injured his ankle, and two plays later he strained his calf.  What's going to happen if, as soon as he's physically healed but still weak, he's put into a high-intensity situation?  Wouldn't that be like you running sprints on your ankle the day after the doctor said you were good to go?  How do you think that would have worked out?

I'd rather not see another Kevin Durant situation.

That it totally NOT what I am saying or anyone else is saying.  You are making an assumption that he would be weakened if we play him in the IND series and then he would not be weakened a week later.

You said it exactly, "extra time" to heal.  There is no time for "extra time" anymore.  The calf needs to be healed (clean MRI) and Porzingis needs to say it feels good, back in condition.  When that happens, play him.  Don't wait an extra week.  If that is the case in time for IND game 4, then play him.  No need to have him wait around for the start of the finals, no matter what the series score is at that point.

We are not that far off from the point where they will need to put him out there even if it is still sore.  Game 4 vs. IND is not that point, but game 3 of the finals might be.  And as I keep saying, based on my own history with injuries, and what is being reported, I believe that if this thing is still sore by game 4 vs. IND, there is high risk that it is going to be sore through the finals.  That is my conclusion based on the information available.  Who knows, it is medicine so it is impossible to know.  Maybe it will still be sore on May 27 (IND game 4) but all better on June 6 (Finals game 1).  It is possible, but I am not optimistic about that.

If this thing is still sore by June 6 (Finals Game 1), they you have to start trying to game it.  See how we do in the two home games.  Maybe try him game 3 and hope it can hold up for 3-5 games.  You reach a point where you will have to at least try to put him out there, kind of like Willis Reed.  It may not work out, he may end up limping back to the locker room, but it is the finals and there is simply no more window.  This is the only scenario where I am suggesting putting him out there in a condition that is less than 100%.

I'm confused by your ankle story, then.  It seemed like you were making a distinction between being "healed" (I.e., when the x-ray showed a healed fracture and the doctor pronounced you good to go) versus being 100% a month later.

It stands to figure that your ankle would have been doing better a week after you were told you were healed

[keevsnick]

If that's a reaggravation of the hamstring injury for Haliburton then he's likely done for the series, and if that's the case then this is likely going to be a sweep.

So it's possible we don't even see KP at all this series.

[Roy H.]

If that's a reaggravation of the hamstring injury for Haliburton then he's likely done for the series, and if that's the case then this is likely going to be a sweep.

So it's possible we don't even see KP at all this series.

If we're up 3-0, there's no way I'd play him until Game 6 at the earliest.

[Donoghus]

If that's a reaggravation of the hamstring injury for Haliburton then he's likely done for the series, and if that's the case then this is likely going to be a sweep.

So it's possible we don't even see KP at all this series.

If we're up 3-0, there's no way I'd play him until Game 6 at the earliest.

Agreed.  They don’t need him this series.  Continue to rest him.


Sure, there’s the rust factor to consider come Finals time but I’d rather have a rusty KP in the Finals than KP reaggravating things when they don’t need him.

[BitterJim]

If that's a reaggravation of the hamstring injury for Haliburton then he's likely done for the series, and if that's the case then this is likely going to be a sweep.

So it's possible we don't even see KP at all this series.

If we're up 3-0, there's no way I'd play him until Game 6 at the earliest.

I wouldn't mind seeing him prep for game 4, start, and then come out after 5 and not play again. I'm sure it would be an issue for rotations, but I'd like to see him go through the process of preparing/warming up/playing a few minutes before we really need him

[cman88]

If that's a reaggravation of the hamstring injury for Haliburton then he's likely done for the series, and if that's the case then this is likely going to be a sweep.

So it's possible we don't even see KP at all this series.

If we're up 3-0, there's no way I'd play him until Game 6 at the earliest.

Yeah if we get up 3-0 no point in even playing him.

[CelticSooner]

He's not going to play in this series. The fact he hasn't even practiced yet shows that.

[keevsnick]

If that's a reaggravation of the hamstring injury for Haliburton then he's likely done for the series, and if that's the case then this is likely going to be a sweep.

So it's possible we don't even see KP at all this series.

If we're up 3-0, there's no way I'd play him until Game 6 at the earliest.

The Woj reporting made it seem like he's targeting a game 4 return. If he's truly healthy and ready to go I could see them playing him just to get him some game speed minutes, but he should be on a strict minutes limit if they do.

If the C's wrap this up in 4 or 5 it will be a very long layoff before the finals start. A win in 5 would be 8 days off, so thats plenty of time to get KP some good practices in with the team to ease him back in.

[Boston Garden Leprechaun]

He's not going to play in this series. The fact he hasn't even practiced yet shows that.

you nor I know

[letsgoblue86]

He's not going to play in this series. The fact he hasn't even practiced yet shows that.

This is what I’m thinking. But once he’s cleared to practice then I bet they get him out there quick

[GreenEnvy]

Woj is making it like he is close.

Joe is saying he hasn’t practiced yet and questioned who said he’s close when he doesn’t have an update to give.

I know Joe doesn’t like to give out info, but if he’s still not getting reps in I don’t see him remotely close to playoff basketball.

[Boston Garden Leprechaun]

He's not going to play in this series. The fact he hasn't even practiced yet shows that.

This is what I’m thinking. But once he’s cleared to practice then I bet they get him out there quick

i mean if NOT playing means we sweep or win in 5 ok then

trust me if we are headed to a game 6 or 7 that guy IS playing

[jambr380]

I really would like to see KP out there in one game this series just so his first action isn't the Finals. But if we are going to sweep, then there is no reason to force it. The team would then have lots of time to prepare for the Finals and I'm sure they can run some simulated game play where KP is doing KP stuff against other Celtics. Not ideal, but I'll definitely take the sweep if it's there

[Vermont Green]

I think we have beaten the rest, extra rest, rust, reinjury, ... to death.  It doesn't seem like he is ready to play.  It is probably still sore.  If it is still sore, they certainly shouldn't play him at this point.  At some point, you have to put him out there, a little sore or not.  Haliburton has a strain of a different muscle (hamstring) and they are playing him as much as they can because they have to.  We may have to in the finals.

Regarding Porzingis, I wanted to check his Net ON/OFF numbers from the regular season to try and gauge how much impact he might have.  During the regular season, he was +11.7 ON and the team was +11.3 OFF (all per 100 possessions).  If you look at that as a straight net ON/OFF, it doesn't look that good.  But in the regular season, most of the time that he was OFF, Horford was ON.  Horford was +11.7 when ON also.  To me, this is why Net ON/OFF stats in isolation can be misleading.

Because Porzinigis's replacement is also good, his net ON/OFF is not necessarily reflective of his impact.  In the playoffs, it is Kornet that is playing Porzingis's minutes mostly.  Kornet is -1.3 per 100 possessions in the playoffs while Horford is +18.0.  Since the team was roughly equally good with Horford or Porzingis during the regular season, you expect the same in the playoffs (although Porzingis was only +3 per 100 possessions in his 4 playoff games).  We are giving up major points per 100 possessions for those 60 or so possessions that you would expect Porzingis to play, due to having to play Kornet.  I believe that this context is much more representative of Porzingis's value or impact than the straight regular season net ON/OFF.  It also reflects Horford's value.