Kristaps Porzingis won’t be suiting up when the Celtics come to town this weekend - and that means his long-awaited first matchup against his former team in a Hawks uniform will have to wait.
Porzingis, who spent two seasons in Boston and helped the Celtics capture a championship, has been ruled out for Saturday’s game against his old squad due to left Achilles tendinitis. He was initially listed as questionable, but the team downgraded his status on Friday, keeping the 7-foot-2 big man sidelined once again.
This game was circled on the calendar for obvious reasons. Porzingis was a key piece of Boston’s title run before being dealt to Atlanta last July in what was largely a salary cap move for the Celtics. Since then, the Hawks have undergone a significant transformation - most notably trading franchise point guard Trae Young to the Wizards - and Porzingis was expected to be a central figure in their new direction.
But staying on the court has been the challenge.
Since arriving in Atlanta, Porzingis has missed 26 of the Hawks’ 43 games. He’s been managing a combination of health issues, including a POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) diagnosis and a lingering calf injury that first surfaced during his time in Boston and flared up again during the 2024 playoffs. Add in the Achilles tendinitis and a December illness unrelated to POTS, and it’s been a frustrating stretch for the 30-year-old.
Porzingis has been candid about his health battles, acknowledging the setbacks but remaining optimistic about his long-term outlook.
“I just wasn’t feeling too good, honestly. Just not being healthy healthy, you know?”
he said last month. “But I wouldn’t say it’s the same stuff from last season, so that’s good.
I think I kind of put that behind me even this summer playing for the national team, but anyway, just catching whatever - it’s frustrating, you know? I want to be healthy.
And I will be healthy.”
When he has been on the floor, Porzingis has still shown flashes of the high-level production that made him such a valuable weapon in Boston. He’s averaging 17.1 points per game this season, down slightly from the 19.5 he put up in his final year with the Celtics. His shooting numbers - 45.7% from the field and 36.0% from three - are also a tick below last year’s marks, but still solid, especially considering the physical hurdles he’s been navigating.
The good news for fans hoping to see Porzingis face his old teammates is that there are still three more chances on the schedule. The Hawks will travel to Boston twice more this season (Jan. 28 and March 27), and the Celtics will return to Atlanta on March 30. If Porzingis can get back to full strength, those games could carry a little extra juice.
As for Saturday’s matchup, the Celtics will also be a bit shorthanded. Forward Josh Minott is out with a left ankle sprain, and guard Payton Pritchard is listed as doubtful due to left ankle soreness.
Porzingis’ absence is just another chapter in what’s been a stop-and-start season for both him and the Hawks. But if he can get healthy - and stay healthy - he still has the tools to make a major impact in Atlanta’s evolving lineup. For now, though, the wait to see him go up against the Celtics continues.