Kristaps Porzingis announced today that he'll be skipping the FIBA World Cup due to ongoing plantar fasciitis issues.
Ir grūti, es jūtos ļoti atbildīgs savu un Latvijas valstsvienības atbalstītāju priekšā, taču ir pieņemts lēmums, ka es nespēlēšu Pasaules kausā.
— Kristaps Porzingis (@kporzee) August 15, 2023
Pēc vairāku nedēļu atlabšanas procesa un atkārtota MRI izmeklējuma, vēl joprojām pēdas plantārais fascīts man neļauj atrasties uz… pic.twitter.com/mvyk4Dj8lU
He will be with the Latvian National Team as it travels to eastern Asia for the World Cup tournament. He signed a two year, $60 million contract extension with Boston after being traded here earlier this summer.
UPDATE:
Celtics say Kristaps Porzingis is beginning a four-to-six-week rehab program to treat plantar fasciitis in his right foot. The team says he is expected to be cleared for the start of training camp.
— John Karalis 🇬🇷🇺🇦 (@John_Karalis) August 16, 2023
Karalis' Analysis:
As I wrote yesterday, I've been dying for the Celtics to find a way for him to sit out this tournament. The Celtics don't need to see him go down to an injury like Danilo Gallinari did last summer. Honestly, I feel like a healthy Gallo could have been a difference-maker for the Celtics.
Anyway ... Plantar fasciitis is a good-and-bad scenario for Porzingis and the Celtics.
The bad is that plantar fasciitis can be recurring. If he can't get past it this summer, it's something that can creep up on him at some point during the season. If they can't fix the problem by rehabbing it this summer, then there is a risk of him trying to play through it or maybe missing time to start the season to give it more time to heal.
The good is that the treatment plan doesn't involve surgery or anything extreme like that. As long as the plantar fascia is intact, a regimen of rehab that includes stretching, strengthening, ice, anti-inflammatories, and maybe a corrective device like a walking boot will likley be enough.
I don't think there's any reason to panic at this point about Porzingis' health, but I also wouldn't say there's nothing to worry about, either. He has a tough injury history and foot issues in guys this size can be problematic. Super-tall basketball players put a different kind of pressure on their joints and feet, which makes them tough to keep healthy. A very conservative approach on this is probably the best way to go. He might have been able to play through some of the pain, but the toll might not have been worth it.
The bottom line: shutting him down is the right move. Even if the rehab and recovery dips into training camp, this is the right approach. If he gets the right treatment and takes it easy, he should be just fine. It's something he'll have to be mindful of during the season, and the chronic nature of it will make it worth monitoring on a regular basis. His size and injury history make this more than just a passing concern, but I'm not too worried about this at this point either.
But I'm not gonna lie, the first time I hear anything about Porzingis and heel pain, my level of concern might grow quickly.