Kristaps Porzingis is currently battling an elbow injury. The New York Knicks star plans to undergo a procedure to address the discomfort during the offseason.
New York Knicks power forward Kristaps Porzingis is carrying one of the heaviest workloads in the NBA. In addition to ranking No. 2 in the Association in points per game, he’s one of the top five players in usage rate.
As Porzingis prepares for the challenges that await him, he’s facing the reality of how physically grueling life in the NBA can be.
Porzingis is in the midst of a season that’s being advertised as an MVP-caliber campaign. It’s far too early to entertain conversations about who should be MVP, but when he’s been on the court, the results have been spectacular.
Unfortunately, Porzingis has encountered his first hazard on the 2017-18 road to glory.
According to Al Iannazzone of Newsday, head coach Jeff Hornacek told reporters that Porzingis is dealing with bursitis in his shooting elbow.
Hornacek said porzingis is dealing with bursitis in his shooting elbow, and he turned his ankle early in yesterday's game.
— Al Iannazzone (@Al_Iannazzone) November 8, 2017
Per Marc Berman of The New York Post, Porzingis described the injury and stated his belief that he’ll need to, “Get something done about it,” during the 2018 offseason.
"“When I hit it again it just swells up and it’s sensitive and I can’t stretch my arm,’’ Porzingis said of his ballooning elbow. “It bothers me a little bit but not that bad. It’s always, I have to get the swelling down and then I’ll be fine again. But I think once the season’s over. I might have to do something about it. I just can’t keep going like this every year.”Porzingis said he could “drain it” or “do some stuff with it.”"
That’s concerning news, but it’s important to take note of the fact that Porzingis doesn’t believe a procedure will be necessary until at least five months from now.
Porzingis joined the Knicks with professional experience already on his resume. He played for Baloncesto Sevilla in Spain’s vaunted Liga ACB, where he gained invaluable experience against some of the top non-NBA players in the world.
The European grind consists of far less games than the NBA, however, which has inevitably made the transition to an 82-game schedule one that Porzingis has been forced to overcome.
The latest development is an example of the type of hurdle that Porzingis has been leaping since he entered the NBA.
It’s worth noting that Porzingis played 29 minutes against the Charlotte Hornets with elbow bursitis and a sprained ankle. During that game, he went off for 28 points and three blocks on 10-of-15 shooting, scoring seven critical points in the clutch to secure the 118-113 victory.
Thus, while Porzingis may be wary of the long-term implications of the elbow injury, it appears as though he’s confident in his ability to push through during the short-term.
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The injury will be something to monitor, but for now, New York Knicks fans should remain as confident as ever before in Kristaps Porzingis.