BROOKLYN — Kristaps Porzingis isn’t yet ready to make his Celtics season debut. But he’s progressing well in his recovery, according to head coach Joe Mazzulla.
The rehabbing big man traveled with the team to Brooklyn and went through an active pregame warmup ahead of Wednesday’s matchup with the Nets at Barclays Center. His routine included shots off one foot, midrange jumpers, corner 3-pointers, half-speed 1-on-1 drives against a Celtics assistant and a few full-court shuttles at a jogging pace.
Porzingis then watched Boston’s 139-114 win from the bench in street clothes. Mazzulla said he’s making “good progress” as he works his way back from offseason leg surgery.
“I think that’s important, especially for a guy that’s not playing, to be as engaged as he is,” Mazzulla said. “It makes it easier for as he starts to come back we’ll just plug him right in, because he’s been here the whole time. That’s a commitment. That’s hard to sit there day in and day out and do that. So I appreciate that he does that. I think it brings a level of professionalism and togetherness to our locker room, and it’s been fun to watch.”
Multiple teammates noted how engaged Porzingis was during the game as Boston turned an early deficit into its second-most lopsided victory of the season. Payton Pritchard, who scored 23 points off the bench in the win, called the Celtics fan favorite an “unbelievable player (and) teammate” and said his “positivity is contagious.”
“We love KP,” Pritchard said. “We can’t wait for him to get back. … We definitely miss him, but we love having him be there and be vocal on the bench.”
Jaylen Brown viewed Porzingis’ in-game attentiveness as a sign that he’s “getting close” to returning.
“Even tonight, he was very verbal,” said Brown, who notched a 24-point, 12-rebound double-double and was a team-best plus-27. “He was in his coaching bag, giving guys what he was seeing out there. So that’s a good sign. That’s a good signal that he’s getting close, he’s getting ready. But his mind, his spirit is out there with us, and we can’t wait to welcome him back.”
Porzingis suffered his injury during last season’s NBA Finals. He and the Celtics reportedly are targeting a December debut, though his exact return date remains uncertain.
