Kristaps Porzingis may need more time to heal up after sitting out a game for just the second time all year Saturday night against the Detroit Pistons.
After the New York Knicks defeated the Pistons, 102-89, head coach Kurt Rambis told reporters he doesn’t know when to expect his star rookie back in the lineup.
“I can tell you nothing about the severity. I knew he had a bruised leg, lower leg,” Rambis said, per Fred Kerber of the New York Post. “When he went out to work out after getting some treatment earlier this morning then came in and got more treatment, he was having trouble pushing off on it. Our medical staff determined he wasn’t prepared to play.”
Rambis did say X-rays came back negative on the injury and noted team doctors saying Porzingis could be back in a couple of days: “They feel very confident it won’t be a lingering thing,” he said.
The Knicks have Sunday and Monday off before heading to the Continental Divide to face the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday, March 8. This means Porzingis could very well be healed up enough to play in that game.
At this point, it likely matters not for the Knicks, who are 6.5 games behind No. 8 seed in the east, the Chicago Bulls, with 18 games left to play. In addition to the spread between New York and Chicago, there are four other teams in between them fighting for the final seed as the playoffs approach.
Still, every chance Porzingis has to improve his craft against NBA competition is welcome. While the Knicks won’t sacrifice his health to achieve this goal, the franchise will get him back onto the court as soon as possible to continue developing his game.