Mavs’ Kristaps Porzingis Expected to Return This Month

Kristaps Porzingis with the Knicks blocking Lakers' Jordan Clarkson. Photo by Jevone Moore/Cal Sport Media/CSM/REX/Shutterstock

Dallas Mavericks’ star center Kristaps Porzingis is closing in on his return to basketball after undergoing knee surgery in October. According to the team’s head coach Rick Carlisle, Porzings is expected to make his 2020/21 debut at some point in January.

Porzings had his first full practice with the rest of the team on Tuesday, taking part in 5-on-5 and 1-on-1 drills.

“Sometime in the next couple of weeks isn’t far-fetched. It isn’t certain, either,” said Carlisle when asked about the 25-year-old player. “I think we just have to go day to day with it and hope that things can keep moving in a positive direction.”

Having Porzingis back will be a big factor for Dallas as the team hopes to make a run for one of the top spots in the Western Conference in 2020/21. The Mavs lost their first two games of the season but bounced back with a huge 124-73 win over LA Clippers on Sunday.

Kristaps Porzingis played 57 games for Dallas Mavericks last season and ended up averaging 20.4 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 2.0 blocks per contest. He previously missed a year and a half while recovering from an ACL injury he suffered in February 2018 while being a member of the NY Knicks.