Kristaps Porzingis isn’t worried about his road to recovery from a season-ending ACL injury.
He’s sure he’ll return to the New York Knicks as an All-Star.
From ESPN.com’s Ian Begley:
“I believe that I’m going to come back better and stronger,” Porzingis said Tuesday in his first public comments since he suffered a torn left ACL in early February.
Porzingis said he has been progressing well since undergoing surgery on Feb. 13.
“[I’ve] been having a positive mindset this whole time and just going day by day, doing whatever I need to,” he said. “Every day is a little progress, a little something, and just moving forward and getting better every day with my knee.”
Nothing about Porzingis’ first public comments since suffering a torn left ACL should strike you as shocking. NBA players are, first and foremost, extremely confident individuals. They deal with real-life insecurities and problems just like the rest of us, but it takes a certain level of self-aplomb to reach the Association in the first place. They’re not immune to being discouraged at first brush with conflict, but they’ll never bet against themselves in the long run. It’s why they are where they are.
In Porzingis’ case, it helps that ACL injuries aren’t considered the career-ruiners they used to be. They fall short of routine or minor, but they’re closer to the level of a meniscus tear than a ruptured Achilles. He could return to the floor and have a long, prosperous career.
But both he and the Knicks need to be careful. As many others have pointed out, Porzingis has already struggled with injuries on the left side of his body. If he begins to compensate in some way as a result of this injury, this could become a recurring theme. The Knicks have to prepare him for every aspect of the next phase of his career—which, given the potential loss of mobility he may incur, could include a permanent move from power to center.
