Dallas Mavericks Star Kristaps Porzingis Undergoes Surgery On Torn Meniscus
Dallas Mavericks center Kristaps Porzingis, who has been plagued by injuries throughout his basketball career, has gone under the knife once again. As reported by ESPN‘s Tim McMahon and others on Friday, the 2018 NBA All-Star underwent surgery to remedy a lateral meniscus injury in his right knee that was suffered during his team’s first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Per a statement from the Mavericks, there is currently no timetable for the 7-foot-3-inch center’s return to the court, although it was noted that he would begin rehabilitation immediately.
Porzingis reportedly explored a myriad of options before opting for surgery, including having platelet-rich plasma injections in hopes that they would enhance the natural healing process for his meniscus.
As noted by ClutchPoints, Porzingis stated in August that the injury likely occurred as the result of a “contact situation” before he was ejected from the series opener. Although he didn’t go into specifics, he was involved in an altercation with Clippers’ forward Marcus Morris during the game. He continued to play in spite of the injury, appearing in two more contests against Los Angeles, but was ultimately ruled out of Games 4, 5 and 6.
The Latvian sharpshooter’s latest setback is just one of a number of injuries that have served to stymie him since he made the move to the NBA in 2015 with the New York Knicks.
He missed the final seven games of his rookie season after hurting his right shoulder. Later, he was limited to 48 games during the 2017-18 campaign after he tore his left ACL during a February game against the Milwaukee Bucks. That setback ultimately caused Porzingis to miss the entirety of the 2018-19 campaign. Porzingis’ misfortune continued this season, as he suffered a broken nose in addition to the meniscus tear.
When he’s healthy, though, the 25-year-old is one of the most versatile players in basketball, having been dubbed “The Unicorn” due to his unique combination of talents and size. Per NBA Stats, he averaged 20.4 points, 9.5 rebounds and two blocks per contest in 57 appearances for Dallas in 2019-20. He also boasted an effective field goal percentage of 54.7 and an offensive rating of 116.1.
He is a key cog in the Mavs’ offensive attack next to fellow All-Star Luka Doncic. When the players were together on the floor this past season, Dallas outscored its opponents by five points per 100 possessions.
As relayed last month by The Inquisitr, Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale hypothesized that the Mavs could potentially acquire Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet in a sign-and-trade deal to pair the burgeoning star with Doncic and Porzingis.
