When Kristaps Porzingis was carried off the floor during Tuesday’s game between the New York Knicks and the Milwaukee Bucks, the overwhelming hope of the NBA world was that the young big man would navigate the incident without serious injury. However, that optimism faded on Tuesday evening, when the Knicks announced Porzingis suffered a torn ACL in his left knee.
Medical Update: An MRI confirmed that Kristaps Porzingis tore the ACL in his left knee.
— NY_KnicksPR (@NY_KnicksPR) February 7, 2018
Porzingis will face a lengthy recovery timetable on the heels of the injury and Shams Charania of The Vertical brings word that the 22-year-old is already moving toward surgery that will officially end his 2017-2018 season.
Sources: Knicks All-Star Kristaps Porzingis is scheduling season-ending surgery on torn ACL in his knee, with return timetable after procedure.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 7, 2018
Though the Knicks have fallen to the periphery of the playoff picture, the team’s on-court downturn has not been centered on Porzingis. New York owns a 22-25 record with Porzingis in the lineup but, without him, the Knicks dip to just 1-7 and that is backed up by on/off numbers when he moves to the bench in any form.
Entering Tuesday evening’s contest, Porzingis was averaging 22.9 points (while shooting 39.4 percent from three-point range), 6.7 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game. His combination of offensive skill, size and rim protection is tantalizing and, in Porzingis’ absence, the Knicks face a daunting task to stay afloat with every incentive to lean into the reality of the upcoming NBA Draft lottery.
