Could Kristaps Porzingis miss all of 2018-19 season?
Kristaps Porzingis missed almost half of this season, but could he miss all of the 2018-19 season?
The New York Knicks (29-53) missed the playoffs for the fifth straight time this season, and the 11th time in the last 14 season. Any hope they have for the future is centered around Kristaps Porzingis, who missed the final 27 games this season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn left ACL.
The Knicks went 6-21 over that final stretch with Porzingis out, and they were 7-27 in the 34 games he missed over the whole season.
Knicks’ owner James Dolan talked about the team’s vision for a rebuild, which seems to be a never-ending process by this point. Building around Porzingis seems like a good plan, immediate health aside, and Dolan suggested that if there was any doubt.
But via the New York Post, Dolan’s went further into the timetable for Porzingis to return.
"I’ve been told everything from December to him being out for the season, so I don’t know what to expect on that,” Dolan said. “But we can’t just sit on our ass while he’s away. We need to develop a team and then integrate him into it when he comes back."
There have been no reported setbacks for Porzingis as he works his way back, and his trainer pointed to him being ready for the 2018-19 season opener back in March. So Dolan’s pessimism, while noteworthy, may never be backed up by an actual medical opinion or any real reporting on Porzingis’ status.
Just recently Porzingis said he’s focused on his health, and doesn’t need a say in who the next Knicks’ coach will be.
“I’m sure the front office, they will make the right decisions. And to build something that has a . . . that can go a long way. I think they will make the right decisions, so we have to trust them.”
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His faith in the front office is nice, and Phil Jackson being gone helps, but Porzingis’ health and timeline to return will have a major say in how appealing the Knicks’ coaching job is. Jeff Hornacek only lasted two seasons with a bad record, and rightfully so. But if Porzingis is out deep into or for all of next season, winning 25 games in the first year of the latest Knicks’ reset/rebuild might be a feat for a new coach.