Report: Kristaps Porzingis Ready to Return to Mavericks After Knee Surgery

Dallas Mavericks star big man Kristaps Porzingis is back.  

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, Porzingis is ready to make his season debut after missing the team's first nine games this year as he recovered from offseason knee surgery. 

Charania noted Porzingis was set to play Monday against the New Orleans Pelicans. However, that game has since been postponed due to the NBA's COVID-19 protocols.

The 25-year-old has a lengthy injury history. A torn ACL cost him the entirety of the 2018-19 campaign, and he suffered a meniscus injury in last year's first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers that sidelined him to start this season. 

Porzingis has played 70 or more games only once in his career, his rookie season in 2015-16. When he's been on the court, he's been excellent. He was a first-team All-Rookie selection in 2015-16 and was voted to the 2018 All-Star Game. 

More importantly, he's a fantastic running mate for Luka Doncic as a big man who can stretch the floor, protect the rim and operate as a dangerous pick-and-pop threat. It's hard to imagine the Mavericks won't explore every possible avenue to acquire a third star, but a one-two punch of Doncic and Porzingis in the short term will keep Dallas a perennial playoff threat. 

That's if Porzingis can stay healthy, of course.