NBA Notebook: Kristaps Porzingis injury less concerning than Malcolm Brogdon's status

The Celtics announced Kristaps Porziņģis will miss 4-6 weeks with a foot injury that an MRI revealed as plantar fasciitis. Porziņģis developed the condition before joining Latvia for the World Cup, according to Rupert Fabig, who first reported the injury. What originally seemed like a minor concern to rest, like Oshae Brissett's knee that ended his stint with Canada, could actually keep Porziņģis off his feet until the Celtics reconvene later next month. Plantar fasciitis infamously lingers and is painful, and couldn't fall on a worse player than the 7-foot-3 star Boston just acquired to revamp their roster. Porziņģis played 65 games at most over his previous six NBA seasons, due to an ACL, knee, ankle, back and foot ailments, a heel contusion previously derailing his 2020 playoffs in the Bubble. 

Plantar fasciitis impacts everyone differently, including Joakim Noah and Damian Lillard prominently in the NBA. Noah suffered a setback in 2013 as his aggravated him for most of the second half of the 2013 season, forcing him to miss 12 games over nearly one month. Lillard missed the 2016 Olympics after developing the condition and missed seven games the previous December after never missing an NBA game prior. He managed to finish the 2016 season without missing another game. 

"It really sucks," Noah said in 2013. "It feels like you have needles underneath your foot while you're playing. You need to run, you need to jump (and) you need to do a lot of things while you're playing basketball. So you don't want needles on your feet.”

Injections, shoe inserts and medicine can ease the stabbing sensation on the heel, and with such a long runway to the season ahead, it's not time to panic about Porziņģis, whatever concern that injuries played into your assessment of the trade. The Celtics don't open the 2023-24 season until Oct. 25 in New York, nearly 70 days from now. Al Horford and Robert Williams III's availability factored into assuming the Porziņģis injury risk, moving excess depth at the guard position to center, as Brad Stevens described it. Malcolm Brogdon's injury status in tandem with Porziņģis' becomes the problem. 

Brogdon enters next season as a key to sustaining Marcus Smart's loss and bridging the gap between Boston's smaller and larger lineups that Joe Mazzulla wants to mesh. Both Mazzulla and Brad Stevens pointed toward Brogdon beginning training camp healthy without surgery, while admitting some healing will be required between the Celtics and Brogdon after the Celtics nearly traded him to the Clippers in the original Porziņģis trade. The Athletic wrote that Los Angeles expressed some misgivings about Brogdon's injury before the midnight deadline to complete a deal. Brogdon suffered a partially torn tendon in his right elbow in a collision with Kevin Love in Game 1 of the east finals. He played through it, missing only Game 6, before struggling immensely in a short Game 7 stint, announcing after that he may need surgery. 

"I'm not going to get into what was reported or anything else we were talking about," Stevens said when asked by Boston Sports Journal in June. "Our doctors and him have been really consistent with, he's felt better and better and better. He's going to continue to do so and he's going to be monitored. If they need to go in and do (surgery), then he can choose to, but he can also choose not to in the way he's feeling. We're very confident he'll be on the court and be good, so that's that." 

Since those updates, the Boston Globe indicated Brogdon will return in time for the regular season, surgery or not, while the Celtics reportedly discussed Brogdon trades beyond the initial Porziņģis talks, though Heavy indicated Boston has since shut down calls about Brogdon. It's possible the Celtics aimed to trade both Brogdon and Smart, clearing a path for Derrick White and Payton Pritchard to play more, both players due contract extensions this year. Brogdon is owed $22.5 million in each of the next two seasons for a team sitting just below the new second apron and he discussed the difficulty of coming off the bench during the late stages of the playoffs. He won the league's sixth-man award, thrived as a shooter and scorer and stayed healthy until May, but struggled defensively and didn't get to perform as a playmaker often next to other Boston ball-handlers. 

However you view the Brogdon trade and his future here, the Celtics' bench could struggle to score if he's not himself or available this year, particularly if he misses time in tandem with one of the big men, whether Porziņģis, Williams III, or Al Horford, whose workload should continue to decrease. Grant Williams can no longer assist when one of the centers sits. Oshae Brissett arrives in a similar role following a season where he played less often and shot worse. Pritchard went through the same predicament after a strong showing in his first two NBA seasons. Dalano Banton signed unproven after two years in Toronto on a non-guaranteed contract with a second-year team option. Boston felt strongly enough about those options to weigh Brogdon’s deals, seeing potential alternatives that would've helped adjust their cap sheet ahead of Jaylen Brown's extension and they’re focused on playing bigger this year anyway. Still, they stopped short of simply moving off Brogdon's contract. 

Brogdon unsurprisingly didn't speak following the trade reports. No podcasts. No videos circulated of him working out like many other players post. That doesn't seem like Brogdon's thing, so it's hard to assess what the silence means, if anything. He said throughout the course of last season that he enjoys time with family away from the season. It's more concerning to hear few updates on his progression from an injury that debilitated him as a shooter. He finished the east finals 20% from the field and 7.1% from three after the injury. Brogdon felt pain whenever he shot in May. He scored two points over the final five games of the east finals. Porziņģis can play through and manage some foot pain. Shooting proved the primary contribution Brogdon provided compared to other options. 

Pritchard's numbers shouldn't define his 2023 season -- 5.6 PPG, 1.8 RPG and 1.3 APG on 41.2% shooting (36.4% 3PT). He played too sparingly, suffered his own heel injury midway through the year and battled frustration as he hoped to find a new team. Pritchard also shined in spots where the Celtics asked him to play larger roles, no game greater than his spot start against the Atlanta reserves in the final game of the regular season alongside Boston's bench. Pritchard produced his first career triple-double, scoring 30 points with 14 rebounds and 11 assists while shooting 9-for-16 from three. He scored 22 points with five assists, hitting four threes the game before against a Toronto team still fighting to reach the playoffs. The Celtics will never be able to provide Pritchard that kind of ball time and starts consistently. Can he play Brogdon's role? Pritchard struggled to in the 2022 playoffs, though that Ime Udoka team stressed defense more than shooting and offense. We know he can shoot and Boston didn't try hard enough to involve Pritchard when he did play. Sam Hauser looms as a competitor for those minutes, too, with wing size following a strong shooting season in 2023. 

It's unlikely Banton can help this team significantly in that sense, he shot 27.5% from three in two Toronto seasons, but his addition alongside Brissett's proved fliers who fit a profile of covering space with length and defensive disruptiveness over positional versatility. That may help Pritchard as well, a shorter target against switches who can front bigger bruisers. Brogdon's best defensive efforts came guarding the paint last year in those situations too, finishing as one of the worst isolation defenders according to league tracking data (1.11 points per possession) on the perimeter. He stands 6-5, which alone helps compared to Pritchard. White, Brown, Tatum and the front court will anchor this team when it matters and that starting unit ranks up there with any team. That was true last year and the year prior, as intangible factors and health prevented the Celtics from beating arguably worse opponents late in the last two postseasons. Brogdon helped fill that leadership gap, speaking out loudly when Boston fell behind 0-3 to Miami. 

It'll become more difficult to do that from the sideline if he misses time this fall, it's unclear where his mind's at the team nearly traded him and although it's fair to assume he can get past that as a veteran who's played for three teams, the complexion and priorities in the locker room already shifted with Smart's exit. The Celtics want Brown and Tatum to lead. White is their starting point guard who will probably play in Boston for years to come. The Celtics even took a flier on DJ Steward, a young guard, on a potential two-way deal this week. Porziņģis will recover from plantar fasciitis by the time it matters. The biggest question entering the 2023-24 season for Boston is whether Brogdon can regain the play and standing he achieved last regular season. 

"I came here to win a championship, to help this team as much as I could," Brogdon said after Game 7. "I thought we had a great season. After the season we had, it's definitely crushing. For me, personally, I do feel great. My body feels great. I just have this tear in arm, which is unfortunate, but it's part of the game. I tried to battle through it ... We'll regroup and we'll be back next year." 

Here's what else happened around the NBA this week...

Atlanta: Open on Oct. 25 against the Hornets with their first-round rematch against the Celtics coming on Nov. 26 in Boston. The teams play a two-game mini-series in Atlanta on Mar. 25-28, with the Hawks playing the Trail Blazers in-between, a weird schedule quirk that'll keep the Celtics in the city for nearly three days waiting. They faceoff in Boston for a second time on Feb. 7. The Hawks waived Vit Krejci, who played in 29 games last year and averaged 1.2 points per game while shooting 40.5% from the field and 23.8% from three. 

Boston: Kristaps Porziņģis will miss 4-6 weeks rehabbing from plantar fasciitis that knocked him out of World Cup contention after an MRI revealed the condition. The Celtics, Latvia and Porziņģis reached the decision to sit out, first reported by Rupert Fabig, after he entered Latvia's training camp with pain plaguing his attempts to play. Missing six weeks would bring Porziņģis right up to training camp with the notoriously nagging condition a hindrance, though not a sign he'll miss significant time. Still, trading for Porziņģis in the first place came with assuming his injury history and risk going forward. 

Boston will visit Porziņģis' former Knicks team on opening night, Oct. 25, before hosting the notable returns of Marcus Smart (Feb. 4), Grant Williams and Kyrie Irving (Mar. 1) and Ime Udoka (Jan. 13) for their first games in Boston with their new teams. The Celtics benefit most from rest advantage and ranked average in total travel.

Brooklyn: Host Kevin Durant for his first game back since being traded on Jan. 31 and Kyrie Irving's Mavericks three games later on Feb. 6. They open on Oct. 25 against Donovan Mitchell and the Cavaliers. A grueling opening stretch faces them against Dallas, Miami, Boston twice and Milwaukee in the opening weeks of the season, along with a four-game road trip in the first week. While not unique, the way they released their schedule always makes me laugh. If you'd like to indulge, ESPN broadcaster Mark Jones hyped up Ben Simmons' physique entering this season. 

Charlotte: Jayson Tatum threw some shade at how much demand fans had for Hornets games, and two of Celtics' games against them subsequently fell on a Monday this season. 

Chicago: NBC Sports Chicago reporter K.C. Johnson revealed LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh nearly joined the Bulls instead of the Miami Heat in 2010, with the team's inability to trade Luol Deng and clear the necessary cap space preventing it from coming to fruition. Johnson believes the trio would've joined the Bulls had a Deng trade materialized. Will compete with the Celtics for the in-season tournament title on Nov. 28, their lone trip to the Garden. The Bulls host the Thunder on opening night. 

Cleveland: Play their most anticipated games early on Nov. 22, when Kevin Love returns for the first time with the Miami Heat, and three days later when LeBron James makes his annual visit to face his former Cavaliers. They travel to Boston for a mini-series against the Celtics on Dec. 12-14. 

Dallas: Josh Green, currently preparing to start for Australia in next week's FIBA World Cup, reportedly began contract extension talks with the Mavericks entering his fourth season. Green emerged as Dallas' most consistent wing contributor after the team traded Dorian Finney-Smith for Kyrie Irving, Green averaging 9.1 PPG on 53.7% FG and 40.2% 3PT. He'll turn 23 this season, and both sides face an Oct. 23 deadline to reach deal. Keith Smith previously wrote four years, $70 million is the most likely number they'd agree on. Dallas opens at Victor Wembanyama's Spurs and plays on the road often in the fall. They host Boston on Jan. 22. Matt Riccardi became the team's assistant GM behind Nico Harrison. 

Denver: Jamal Murray will not participate in the FIBA World Cup after sitting out the exhibition slate for Team Canada, focusing on preparing for the season and easing the load on his knee that he returned from an ACL tear in one year ago. He'll open with the Nuggets against the Lakers on ring night, Oct. 24, before the Nuggets face the Celtics in Boston on Jan. 19 and in Denver on Mar. 7. Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid battle in a pair of January nationally televised games after finishing as the two finalists for MVP one year ago in one of the more contested races in recent memory. 

“When I came into training camp, I wanted to see how my body would respond after a long and demanding season and if I would be physically able to compete at the highest level required for the World Cup,” Murray said. “In consultation with medical staff and the team, it is clear that additional recovery is required, and I have made the difficult decision to not participate in the tournament. It’s still a dream of mine to represent Canada at the Olympics, and I will support the team every step of the way as they pursue this goal.”

Detroit: Cade Cunningham returns to the floor on Pistons opening night against the Heat on Oct. 25 in Miami as part of four road games over the team's first six games. They don't travel to Boston until Dec. 28 before returning again for a home-and-home on Mar. 18 and Mar. 22. It's possible Killian Hayes doesn't make it to those games, with The Athletic writing the team could either trade him before the season or further fill the backcourt depth in front of him to rely less on the streaky young offensive player next season. Edwards also views Marvin Bagley III as the backup big over James Wiseman. 

Golden State: Andre Iguodala praised Jordan Poole's performance on last year's Warriors in a podcast appearance, joking that Poole could end up averaging 30 PPG for the Wizards depending on who's attending their home games. The Warriors host Poole's Wizards for the only time next season on Dec. 22 and travel to Washington, DC on Feb. 27 for a rematch. Golden State hosts the Suns on opening night, pitting Chris Paul against his former team before returning to Phoenix on Nov. 22. The Warriors host the Celtics on Dec. 19 and travel to Boston for an ABC afternoon game on Mar. 3. 

"He averaged 20 last year, on a bad year. He's going to get to the line. He's the only one who got to the line for us last year consistently," Iguodala said on the "Gil's Arena" podcast. "People act like he had a bad year. I'm like, 'OK, a bad year? Y'all blamed him for the year we had last year and he averaged 20.' [He will average] 25-plus, easy (in Washington)...at home, you have to give him the whistle at home, he's going to average 30 at home. And it's Chocolate City, so you know who's going to be in the stands, they got all the memes. Every time he sees a bad chick, he's going for 40."

Houston: Suffered one of the first significant FIBA World Cup injuries when offseason signing Jock Landale went down in an exhibition for Australia with a left ankle injury that'll sideline him for the tournament and potentially into training camp next month. He has until opening night on Oct. 25, when the Rockets visit the Magic, to fully recover as an important frontcourt player behind Alperen Sengun. Houston plays Boston twice in a short span in January, on the road on Jan. 13 and in Houston on Jan. 21. Dillon Brooks and Houston travel to Memphis on Dec. 15. Fred VanVleet makes his return to Toronto on Feb. 2. As James Harden continues to push his way out of Philadelphia, former Rockets head coach Kevin McHale shared some perspective on his own difficulties coaching Harden, whether getting him to move off-ball or stay in shape consistently. 

“You know, when we first got him from Oklahoma City, he was actually pretty easy to coach really,” McHale told Heavy. “He came from being the third option in Oklahoma City with (Russell) Westbrook and (Kevin) Durant being ahead of him. He came in and we put in a couple of sets he liked that they ran there for him. He came off screens. He got off the ball. Never was a great lane runner. Never threw the ball ahead a lot. But he did more little things back then. Like he would set screens, come off screens, stuff like that." 

Indiana: Will still broadcast games on Bally to begin next season despite the regional sports network that holds many of the NBA team's broadcast rights going bankrupt. As the league sorts out its TV deals over the next few years, that situation projects to have an immediate impact on the salary cap, slated to increase by the maximum 10% allowed in line with league revenue. Any problems with TV money coming through would lower that increase significantly ahead of Jaylen Brown's contract extension beginning next year. A lower cap than projected in 2024-25 would slate Brown's extension closer to $288 million, according to analysts, rather than the widely reported numbers over $300 million. Indiana opens its season at home against Washington, travels to Boston on Nov. 1, then hosts a mini-series with the Celtics on Jan. 6-8. 

Clippers: The Athletic elaborated on the failed deal that would've sent Marcus Morris, Amir Coffey and a draft pick to the Wizards with Malcolm Brogdon coming back from Boston. Brogdon's health concerns cost Boston and LA the deal at the final minute, the Clippers pausing after Brogdon suffered an arm injury in the east finals that limited his ability to shoot and play in general. James Harden remains the team's likely addition with Brogdon talks in the past, reportedly pressed most recently to provide future draft picks with Terance Mann off the table in any deal. The Clippers open against Portland at home on Oct. 25, play the Lakers on Nov. 1, Jan. 7, Jan. 23 and Feb. 28, and visit Boston on Jan. 27 after hosting the Celtics on Dec. 23. They don't play the 76ers until late-March. Strangely, the Clippers face much more difficult travel than the Lakers for the fifth consecutive season. 

Lakers: Austin Reaves scored double-figures in Team USA's exhibition win over Greece, one of their group play rivals when the World Cup begins next week. Mark Medina pointed toward the Lakers as the most likely destination for Christian Wood, the highest-profile free agency dragging out late into the summer. Lakers legend Pau Gasol entered the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield this week, honoring his late teammate Kobe Bryant with Vanessa in attendance. Gasol has been a close friend and helped the Bryant family cope with Kobe's passing since 2020. He led championships with Bryant in 2009 and 2010. Gasol revealed Bryant would've presented him at the ceremony had he been alive. The Lakers will face the Celtics on Dec. 25 in LA and Feb. 1 in Boston. The first game between LeBron James and Kevin Durant since 2018 could come on Oct. 26 when LA visits Phoenix. 

Memphis: Marcus Smart will begin his Grizzlies career as their starting point guard on Oct. 25 against the Pelicans. His former Celtics arrive to Memphis on Nov. 19 before Smart returns to the Garden in February. Ja Morant will tentatively return from suspension on Dec. 19 in New Orleans against fellow top 2019 draft pick Zion Williamson. His first game back in Memphis could come on Dec. 21 against the Pacers. 

Miami: Will open on Oct. 25 against the Pistons at home before traveling to Boston for an east finals rematch, the Heat's only game at the Garden next season, two days later. The Heat and Celtics play twice in Miami on Jan. 25 and Feb. 11. Miami won't travel to Portland until Feb. 27, with Damian Lillard remaining focused on landing with the Heat in a trade that hasn't materialized, or frankly come close, this summer. The first NBA Finals rematch takes place in Denver two days later Feb. 29, with both games broadcast on TNT. Erik Spoelstra praised the players the team has for now on ESPN. 

Milwaukee: Face the 76ers at home on Oct. 26 to begin their season on a three-game home stand that also includes the Hawks and Heat. The Celtics loom on Nov. 22 and Mar. 20 in Boston, and Milwaukee hosts the Celtics on Jan. 11 and Apr. 9. The Bucks' Christmas trip to New York is part of a mini-series. 

New Orleans: Zion Williamson will make his return to the floor on opening night, Oct. 25, at Memphis before the Pelicans return to play the Knicks at home on Oct. 28. Fun tests against the Warriors and Chet Holmgren's Thunder follow. Williamson plays potentially his first game in Boston since 2021 on Jan. 29, while the Celtics travel south to New Orleans on Mar. 30. Victor Wembanyama and Williamson could face off on Dec. 1, with the Spurs also showing up on a grueling closing stretch for the Pelicans in the spring that includes an April west coast road trip. Williamson is looking good physically. 

New York: Play the Celtics, a tough matchup for Boston last year, on opening night (Oct. 25) in New York, Nov. 13 and Feb. 24 in Boston before the sides wrap their season series late in the schedule on Apr. 11. The always-fun Trae Young game in New York City comes on Mar. 5. Jalen Brunson returns to Dallas for the second time on Jan. 11, and the first playoff rematches with the Cavaliers happen back-to-back on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. New York hosts the Heat on Nov. 24. RJ Barrett will lead Canada in the World Cup alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with Murray out, scoring 31 points on 13-for-14 shooting against Germany in their second scrimmage. 

“Overall, he was outstanding. Very efficient offensively,” head coach Jordi Fernández said. “He’s been very clean with his decision-making, running the floor and attacking the paint, so this is exactly what we needed from him. This is exactly the production we want.”

Oklahoma City: Chet Holmgren makes his NBA debut on Thunder opening night against the Bulls in Chicago on Oct. 25, returning home to face Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets on Oct. 29. He'll play Cade Cunningham in a back-to-back on Oct. 30, then Victor Wembanyama in a matchup between rookie of the year contending skyscrapers on Nov. 14. The Thunder host Boston on Jan. 2 and don't travel to the Garden until Apr. 3. Oklahoma City waived guard TyTy Washington Jr., acquired from Atlanta for Patty Mills, to make room for Lindy Waters III to rejoin the roster on a two-way deal. 

Philadelphia: The NBA reportedly opened an investigation into the 76ers over James Harden's comments at a camp in China calling Daryl Morey a liar, a stunning escalation that could only begin his efforts into training camp to push his way out of Philadelphia. Harden said he'll never play for a team Morey is part of, alluding to some unfulfilled promise by the Sixers GM. If Morey promised Harden a maximum contract in exchange for the two-year deal he signed last summer to allow Philadelphia more offseason flexibility, the league could consider the scheme a violation of the salary cap, which carried years of first-round pick forfeitures when the NBA penalized the Timberwolves for doing so in the 1990s. It's more likely Morey and the 76ers will claim Harden's upset over not being traded yet, which Philadelphia also reportedly planned to do, and without a contract or deal in writing it may be hard to prove that the organization promised Harden more money later. For now, training camp looks uncomfortable at best for everyone involved. 

The Sixers face the Celtics on 

Phoenix: Open on the road against the Warriors, Kevin Durant's second game in San Francisco since leaving, and the Lakers. The Suns play a mini-series against Victor Wembanyama's Spurs on Oct. 31 and Nov. 2, then play the Celtics on Mar. 9 in Boston and Mar. 14 in Phoenix. Bradley Beal makes his return to Washington for the first time since his trade to the Suns on Feb. 4. Their first playoff rematch with the Nuggets comes on Dec. 1. Eric Gordon, quietly playing for the Bahamas in the World Cup this summer, threw down a throwback slam dunk in an exhibition. 

My mind goes to Phoenix as a sneaky Harden team. Would they trade Deandre Ayton to reunite Harden and Durant? Would Philadelphia do that? 

Portland: Travel to Boston on Apr. 7, a late first trip to the Garden for rookie Scoot Henderson, while also eliminating any likely chance Damian Lillard plays at the Celtics again in a Trail Blazers uniform. It's plausible he's still in one for opening night on Oct. 25 at the Clippers. 

San Antonio: Victor Wembanyama makes his NBA debut on Oct. 25 against the Mavericks. The Celtics will face him for the first time on Dec. 31 in San Antonio, and Wembanyama will play his lone game in Boston on Jan. 17. His national television appearances, 11 in total, fall on opening night, at Phoenix, in New York, Oklahoma City and against the Kings in November. Warriors, Lakers and Bucks games against the Spurs will also air nationally into the new year, while three more against the Hornets, Hawks and Thunder close Wembenyama's slate before the end of January. San Antonio only played once on national TV last season. In a way only he could, head coach Gregg Popovich entered the Basketball Hall of Fame this week with Spurs legends Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and David Robinson by his side on stage. 

Utah: Danny Ainge appeared on Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles' podcast to discuss his career, playing with Larry Bird and his tenure as Celtics GM from 2003-2021. Ainge revealed that Boston almost traded for Jimmy Butler in a deal that would've prevented the Celtics from drafting Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. His comments also reminded me of the botched Justice Winslow draft trade that might've done the same. Still, Ainge sounded captivated by what could've been with Butler, whether through the Celtics drafting or trading for the Heat star who's won 2-of-4 east finals. 

“Some of the best trades I ever made were the ones that I wasn’t able to make,” Ainge said. “You know, like I was trying to get Jimmy Butler from Chicago when I was in Boston, but they wanted a lot. And so we didn’t do it. Because it would’ve, and it ended up would’ve been Jaylen [Brown] and Jayson [Tatum]. Both those draft picks … that we got Jaylen and Jayson with, so that was one that like I loved Jimmy and I was trying to get him …could’ve drafted Jimmy late, I liked him even then. But like now, he’d be proving how good of a player he was. Yeah, that was probably one.”