Porzingis posts sprint photos after Fizdale suggests rehab progressing slowly
Warning: Tweet contains coarse language
Depending on who you ask, star New York Knicks big man Kristaps Porzingis is progressing slowly with his rehab from ACL surgery nine months ago.
First-year Knicks head coach David Fizdale said Thursday that Porzingis still hasn't advanced past light jogging - "not huge jumps," according to the New York Daily News' Stefan Bondy.
Porzingis appears to have a different opinion of his progression. The 7-foot-3 Latvian posted three images on his Instagram story Thursday night - two of himself in mid-sprint and one of mixed martial artist Khabib Nurmagomedov with the subtitle "This is number one bull----."
Hours after some negative news about Porzingis’ ACL recovery comes out, he posts on IG:
— Thomas Duffy (@TJDhoops) November 9, 2018
1) Two shots of himself mid-sprint
2) Screengrab of Khabib saying “this is bullshit” pic.twitter.com/EER3eF5Tsh
One can only infer that Porzingis' photos are recent and that the third image in the sequence is a continuation of his train of thought rather than a complete non sequitur.
The fact remains that the Knicks have stumbled out of the gate with a 4-8 record to start the year. With a young team unlikely to stay afloat in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, the impetus to rush the 2018 All-Star back to action just doesn't exist. For Fizdale's part, he continues to play with the hand he's been dealt.
"I’m looking at these guys right now. I’m not even planning on KP at all," Fizdale said prior to Porzingis' social media activity. "I can see instantly how he fits, but I’m just trying to keep my mind focused on them. Because that would just be a huge distraction for me mentally, hoping and wishing for KP, that 25, 28 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks, whatever. I’ve got to lock in on these young bucks, keep them up to par."