Kristaps Porzingis Out with Illness, What is His Timeline to Return to Hawks?

The Atlanta Hawks will be without their big man for a few weeks.

Per ESPN's Shams Charania, Kristaps Porzingis will miss at least two weeks of action and undergo further testing because of an illness. According to Charania, "both sides are prioritizing the long term of the season for Porzingis."

Porzingis, 30, has put together a strong start to the season when healthy, posting 19.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. However, the veteran center has also struggled to stay on the court consistently, playing just 13 games and missing seven of the last eight contests.

While it's unclear whether Porzingis' recent illness is related, it's not the first time he's dealt with an illness that has sidelined him for a significant amount of time.

Last season, while still a member of the Boston Celtics, Porzingis missed a large portion of the second half of the season due to illness, and he was later diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS).

"It hit me, and it hit me like a truck," he told Fred Katz of The Athletic. "The breathing wasn't good. I did everything I could potentially to feel as good as I could, but my engine wasn't running the way I wanted."

Porzingis played during the playoffs, but said afterwards that it wasn't easy.

"You know how people say, 'Oh, I'm so fatigued?' I've never used those words. I don't even like to speak in those terms, but I really was like that," he added. "At that time, I could just lay on the couch and be a house cat."

Now, Porzingis will once again have to miss some time because of an illness, and it comes at an unfortunate time for the Hawks. Atlanta had a decent start to the season, but has since dropped to 14-12.

Without their starting center for the next two weeks, things will only get more difficult.