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Kristaps Porzingis Will Return 'Better Than Ever' from Knee Injury, Doctor Says
March 24, 2018
Kristaps Porzingis' doctor believes the New York Knicks star will return next season better than he's been in his NBA career.
Dr. Carlon Colker told the New York Post's Mark Berman about his optimism around Porzingis' recovery from a torn ACL:
"Despite the talk, 'The sky is falling, he'll never be the same,' that's a bunch of horse s--t. He'll be better than ever. He's going to blow people away. If you're around people who know what they're doing, it's not the end of the world. It's the end of the world if you have the wrong people around you.
"... We're bulking him up and giving him more muscle mass and strength, working on his upper body, doing a lot of hamstring work."
Porzingis' season ended Feb. 6 in a game against the Milwaukee Bucks after he landed awkwardly on his left leg following a dunk. An MRI confirmed he tore the ACL in his knee.
The Knicks announced Feb. 13 that Porzingis had successful surgery to repair the injury. ESPN's Ian Begley reported the forward would likely miss 10 months, putting him on track to return in December.
However, Colker noted he intends to have Porzingis ready for the Knicks' 2018-19 opener.
Prior to the injury, Porzingis was having his best season. The 22-year-old was averaging a team-high 22.7 points per game and shooting a career-high 39.3 percent from three-point range.