New York Knicks Kristaps Porzingis On Track To Return vs Orlando Magic
New York Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis is on track to return to the lineup against the Orlando Magic.
The New York Knicks have finally received some positive news on the injury front. On Monday it was reported that center Joakim Noah will need surgery on his knee and will probably miss the remainder of the season. The news was more positive for power forward Kristaps Porzingis.
Porzingis injured his ankle against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Knicks’ first game following the All-Star break. He was unable to return to the game because of a sprained ankle. He was able to avoid ligament damage and has missed the two games since; a victory against the Philadelphia 76ers and a loss to the Toronto Raptors.
After the two-game absence, it sounds like Porzingis is ready to return to the court. Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily news reported that Porzingis returned to practice today, while Willy Hernangomez missed practice with an ankle injury.
Willy Hernangomez did not practice because of an ankle sprain, according to the Knicks. However, Kristaps Porzingis did.
— Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) February 28, 2017
It was a step in the right direction for Porzingis returning to the court. He must have done well enough in practice that he is ready to return to the lineup. ESPN New York’s Ian Begley reports that Porzingis will return to the court against the Magic tomorrow.
Kristaps Porzingis says he's good to go for tomorrow's game against Orlando. He's missed two games due to an ankle sprain.
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) February 28, 2017
The Knicks will be happy to get Porzingis back in the lineup. But, they should be 100 percent sure that he is healthy before letting him back on the court. He suffered a setback earlier in the season when returning too early from an Achilles injury and he needs to avoid a repeat of that.
The Knicks have no reason to rush Porzingis back and should take it easy with him. The Knicks are currently 4.5 games out of the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference and are in 12th place in the conference. Qualifying for the postseason is still possible, but the Knicks have a lot of work to do and need some help.
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The Knicks would have to leapfrog the Charlotte Hornets, Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Heat, and Detroit Pistons. The Knicks have some veterans that will keep them competitive down the stretch and give them a chance, but they have to keep an eye on the future. Porzingis is their future and getting some players that are on his career arc should start becoming their focus.