Kristaps Porzingis Will Not Play vs. Chicago Bulls with Back Injury

New York Knicks star Kristaps Porzingis will sit out Tuesday night's game against the Chicago Bulls because of lower back soreness, the team's public relations department announced.

This is another ailment for Porzingis, who suffered Achilles, ankle and thigh injuries earlier this season.

The versatile playmaker tallied 14.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game as a rookie and has averaged 18.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in his second season. He is a matchup problem because of his height (7'3") and ability to extend his offensive game behind the three-point line, and he can control the paint on the defensive side.

Look for the Knicks to give more playing time to Willy Hernangomez and Mindaugas Kuzminskas while Porzingis is out.

This is a lost season for New York, so there is no need to rush Porzingis back, especially with so few games remaining in the campaign. It is more important the franchise cornerstone is healthy and ready to go at the start of the 2017-18 season, when the Knicks will look to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2012-13.    

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