Achiles problem has sidelined Kristaps Porzingis again. He sit out in the game against the Bulls on Thursday night Jan. 12 because of sore achiles which has become lingering problem for him.
Porzingis started to have sore achilles since December during Christmas which made him being sidelined for three games. This Thursday night, he missed his fourth game with achiles tendon soreness as reported by ESPN, as New York Knicks defeated Chicago Bulls 104-89 at the Madison Square Garden, New York.
The Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek said there are no tear in Porzingis’ achiles, and the coaching staffs also do not have any fear to further damage with his achiles. However the discomfort in his achiles has decreased his performance significantly, as he only scored 7 points and made 2 rebounds in the 97-98 loss against Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, Jan.11. In regard to his performance, coach Hornacek said that he needs Porzingis to be frank about his condition.
“We got to trust the players, so he’s got to be honest with his assessment if he can play or not,” Hornacek said. “We’ll kind of work with the trainers and look at it that way and make decisions.”
According to medical expert from Northwestern University the problem with his achiles is more than just a soreness. In an interview with New York Post, Dr. Anish Kadakia said that the 7’3” center is likely suffering from Achilles tendinitis. He said that players at his size are prone to such problem due to the different strides taken by big men.
Dr. Kadakia suggested Porzingis to undergo therapy to strengthen his tendone to avoid tendinitis. For a player with such height, Porzingis is only 240 lbs weight, making him a skinny big man. NBA scouts have suggested his average playing time of 34.1 minutes is too much for his physique, which make him prone to muscle injury.
Which his small figure, Porzingis is able to match the big muscular man in the NBA. Watch him blocking Giannis Antetokounmpo in the 116-111 victory over Milwaukee Bucks on Jan. 6 from the NBA official channel below: