Kristaps Porzingis injury update: Celtics big man in 'next phase' of recovery, return timeline remains unclear

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Kristaps Porzingis has been assigned to the Boston Celtics' G League team, the Maine Celtics, so he can practice with them at the Auerbach Center on Monday afternoon. Boston big man Xavier Tillman will also practice with Maine, the team announced.

Porzingis, who suffered a rare ankle injury in last season's NBA Finals, had surgery in late June and has been rehabilitating since. With this assignment, he has begun "the next phase in his recovery," according to the Celtics. It is unclear what exactly this means, though, for his return-to-play timeline. Boston has reportedly targeted December for his return, but Porzingis said in September that he was hoping to play earlier than projected.

Kristaps Porzingis BOS • C • #8 2023-24 stats PPG20.1RPG7.2BPG1.95 View Profile

Despite Porzingis' absence, the Celtics have started the season 11-3 with the second-best offense and fourth-best net rating in the league. Al Horford has started all 12 games in which he has played, and while the 38-year-old doesn't quite have Porzingis' several-feet-behind-the-arc range, he has made 45% of his 3-point attempts. 

Boston has also gotten good minutes from reserve bigs Luke Kornet and Neemias Queta, the latter of whom started next to Horford and logged 33 minutes in the Celtics' 126-123 overtime win against the Toronto Raptors on Saturday.

Do not expect Porzingis to be in the lineup when Boston hosts the Cleveland Cavaliers, who have started the season 15-0, on Tuesday. He's getting closer, though, and the Celtics have held up extremely well without him.

Kristaps Porzingis injury update: Celtics big man in 'next phase' of recovery, return timeline remains unclear

Kristaps Porzingis injury update: Celtics big man in 'next phase' of recovery, return timeline remains unclear

Kristaps Porzingis injury update: Celtics big man in 'next phase' of recovery, return timeline remains unclear

Kristaps Porzingis injury update: Celtics big man in 'next phase' of recovery, return timeline remains unclear

Kristaps Porzingis injury update: Celtics big man in 'next phase' of recovery, return timeline remains unclear