Kristaps Porzingis has been a revelation this season after the Knicks have finally been released from the shackles of the Carmelo Anthony era of Knicks basketball.
The Knicks are looking pretty pesky at 6-5 thus far this season and Porzingis is averaging 30 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in 10 games.
I feel really bad for raining on the Knicks fans parade ever so slightly (there haven’t been many parties since the 1990s), but Porzingis sat out the 112-99 loss to the Magic Wednesday night with a sprained left ankle and a contused right elbow.
The latter of those ailments could prove to be a larger problem for Porzingis and the Knicks moving forward, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post:
“When I hit it again it just swells up and it’s sensitive and I can’t stretch my arm,’’ Porzingis said of his ballooning elbow. “It bothers me a little bit but not that bad. It’s always, I have to get the swelling down and then I’ll be fine again. But I think once the season’s over. I might have to do something about it. I just can’t keep going like this every year.”
Porzingis said he could “drain it” or “do some stuff with it.”
While this is an injury that Porzingis can likely play through and deal with the discomfort this season on most nights without having his effectiveness altered much, it could become a larger issue if the inflammation becomes progressively worse and the issue becomes more chronic before Porzingis hypothetically has surgery on it this off-season.
It will be interesting to monitor this as the season progresses and whether the Knicks make a decision at any point to shut down their prized unicorn to protect him going forward, that is if they feel they are out of any real eastern conference contention in any way.
I really hope he is able to shake and heal this injury because the NBA is a much more entertaining place with Porzingis being unleashed on the league.
