We finally know. Kristaps Porzingis’ return to basketball will be on October 8, 2019, this time as a Dallas Maverick.
With that question answered, there are several more that come up.
What will Kristaps be like when he comes back? Can he be an All-Star again? Is he injury-prone? Is an ACL tear too much for a 7’3 player to overcome? After all, it’s never been done.
History can give us some sign of what to expect. I looked at data from 69 NBA players who tore their ACL to predict what Mavericks fans can expect from Porzingis in the 2019-2020 season.
In this Article
- Kristaps Porzingis’ Return to Basketball – What to Expect
- Stats Before and After Torn ACL – Tallest Players
- Stats Before and After Torn ACL – All Players
- Stats Before and After Torn ACL – Players Aged 22 or Younger
- Stats Before and After Torn ACL – Players Aged 25 or Younger
- New Predictions for Kristaps Porzingis in 2019-2020
- Rehabbing with the Mavericks
Kristaps Porzingis’ Return to Basketball – What to Expect
Since 1970, 108 NBA players have suffered a torn ACL either before or after their NBA debut. That includes Kristaps Porzingis and Klay Thompson, who tore his ACL in the 2019 Playoffs.
For the purposes of my research, I narrowed the list down to 69 players. I took out players who tore their ACL before making their NBA debut and those who never played again after their injury due to age or the fact that they weren’t rotational player to begin with.
I compared every player’s stats from before his injury to the season he returned from injury. I looked at per game averages for minutes, points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and field goal percentage.
If the player only appeared in a few games before his injury, I used his numbers from the previous season.
Among those 69 players, Porzingis is one of the youngest. Only 16 of the 69 players were 22 or younger when they tore their ACL. (Kristaps was 22 at the time of his injury.)
Porzingis is also the tallest player, at 7’3. The next tallest players were Robert Swift and Jerome James, who were 7’1.
How did those giants fare?
Stats Before and After Torn ACL – Tallest Players
Robert Swift averaged 6.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game before his injury. In his return season, he averaged 1.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, and .8 blocks per game.
Jerome James averaged 1.5 points, 1.1 rebounds, and .4 blocks per game before his injury. After his injury, those numbers increased to 5.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game after his injury.
However, Jerome’s minutes went from 2.6 per game to 16.9 per game. (He also sat out an entire season and played a season overseas before returning to the NBA.)
The point is, these players are not like Porzingis at all, aside from their height. Neither players were at Porzingis’ level of usage and impact.
To get a broad picture, let’s look at the averages from all 69 players.
Stats Before and After Torn ACL – All Players
Here’s the breakdown:
Before and After Torn ACL – All Players
Minutes per game: -18%
Points per game: -25.6%
Rebounds per game: -19%
Assists per game: -15.4%
Blocks per game: -25%
Field goal percentage: -7.1%
Long story short, there were declines in every category. I don’t think that will surprise anyone. After all, an ACL tear is a serious injury.
What happens when we apply these results to Kristaps Porzingis?
Before his ACL injury, Kristaps was averaging 32.4 minutes, 22.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 2.4 blocks per game. He shot 43.9% from the floor.
If we use our results to predict his output for the 2019-2020 season, here’s what his stat line might look like:
Kristaps Porzingis Stat Predictions:
26.5 minutes per game
16.9 points per game
5.3 rebounds per game
1 assist per game
1.8 blocks per game
40.8% shooting
How would you feel if Porzingis averaged 17 points and 5 rebounds a game? Honestly, the shooting percentage is what has me concerned.
But remember, Kristaps is one of the youngest players to tear his ACL. Only 16 of the 69 players were 22 or younger. Our data includes players who were as old as 33.
There’s a big difference between 22 and 33, especially when healing from a major injury.
Stats Before and After Torn ACL – Players Aged 22 or Younger
nba players 22 or younger stats before and after torn acl
Here’s the breakdown:
Before and After Torn ACL – Players Aged 22 or Younger
Minutes per game: -5.4%
Points per game: -0%
Rebounds per game: -5.1%
Assists per game: -9.1%
Blocks per game: -0%
Field goal percentage: -.9%
That paints a very different picture.
I can get excited about a season where Porzingis still averages over 21 points and 2 blocks per game. That’s his projection based on these results.
But let’s make the sample size a little larger. After all, 16 players isn’t that many. Let’s look at the 36 players who were 25 or younger when they tore their ACL. That’s about half of the 69 players I looked at.
Stats Before and After Torn ACL – Players Aged 25 or Younger
nba players 25 or younger stats before and after torn acl
Here’s the breakdown:
Before and After Torn ACL – Players Aged 25 or Younger
Minutes per game: -12%
Points per game: -19.6%
Rebounds per game: -13%
Assists per game: -14.3%
Blocks per game: -20%
Field goal percentage: -5.1%
This is a more realistic projection for Kristaps’ production this season.
Here’s what we could see from him in the 2019-2020 season:
Kristaps Porzingis Stat Predictions:
28.5 minutes per game
18.3 points per game
5.7 rebounds per game
1 assist per game
1.9 blocks per game
41.6% shooting
If I had to guess, this would be the segment I would base my hypothesis on.
But there’s a lot more to consider.
There are so many variables that make Kristaps unique in this situation.
- Only 16 players were Kristaps’ age or younger when they suffered their injury
- Only 2 of them were over 7 feet
- Only 7 players averaged 20 points per game or more before their injury
(And one of those tore his ACL again the following season while another one, Derrick Rose, played less than 30 games, making that projection nearly obsolete.)
Not only that, but Kristaps will be in a new system with different players and better talent around him. Those factors in themselves can drastically impact production.
At this point, you might be wondering if there’s a chance Kristaps reinjures his ACL. After all, I just mentioned Michael Redd and Derrick Rose – not a good sign.
Of the 106 players who have torn their ACL since 1970 – excluding Kristaps and Klay Thompson – only 9 of them had the injury twice.
That’s less than 10%.
NEW Predictions for Kristaps Porzingis in 2019-2020
Let’s use this data to predict what Porzingis will do in the 2019-2020 NBA season.
First, here are Kristaps’ per-game averages for the Preseason:
22.9 minutes per game
16 points per game
9.5 rebounds per game
.5 blocks per game
39.3 FG%
28.6 3PT%
The shooting percentages are the most troubling. But if you look at the projections above, that’s what took a big hit.
On the positive side, 9.5 rebounds would be a career-high by far. His current career high is 7.3 rebounds per game.
Here are my predictions for Kristaps Porzingis in the 2020 NBA season:
32 minutes per game
19 points per game
9 rebounds per game
1.5 blocks per game
42 FG%
35 3PT%
In Luka Doncic’s first season, Rick Carlisle kept him at 32 minutes per game. There was concern over Luka’s conditioning. They might take a similar approach with Kristaps, either because of conditioning or to be cautious.
I think Kristaps will get the opportunity to average more than 19 points a game. (I’m projecting he’ll get around 15 shots a game.) But I think his shooting percentages will hurt his scoring ability.
Nine rebounds per game would be a career-high for Kristaps, but I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. He had some outstanding rebounding performances in the Preseason.
It’s possible he could break out of his shooting woes early in the season and never look back. But I’m relying on the historical data for this projection. The data says he will struggle with his shooting. His Preseason numbers reflect that reality.
I wish I had enough confidence to say he’ll shoot better than 42% overall and make more than 35% of his 3-pointers. What are the odds he’ll buck the trend on that? I’m taking the under.
In reality, this is Kristaps’ comeback season and will probably not reflect his long-term production. If you look at other stars who tore their ACL, the first season back was generally difficult. The same may be true for Porzingis.
Rehabbing with the Mavericks
Porzingis took a very deliberate approach to rehab. He stressed the need for patience and balance. He decided to take yoga and focus on how he moves.
Doctors say most athletes can return within 10 months of their ACL injury. Porzingis opted to miss an entire season, putting his rehab time at 20 months.
“The scar’s gonna be there but it’s more important that the scar’s not up in here so when you get back out on the court, you don’t even think about your knee.”
Kristaps Porzingis to The Players’ Tribune
If Kristaps’ Instagram feed is any sign, he’s been putting in long hours of strength training. Kristaps reportedly gained over 15 pounds of muscle this summer.
That’s a two-edged sword though. That much weight creates a lot more force with every move he makes.
If height is a concern to Porzingis or Mavericks fans, professionals say it shouldn’t be.
“Porzingis’ height should not play a role in the speed of recovery and rate of success. What matters is the quality of the rehabilitation and his genetic disposition to heal.”
– Dr. Armin Tehrany to The New York Post
What might play a role is his playing style.
Jeff Stotts said Kristaps should find a “happy medium” between explosiveness and strength.
Kristaps earned the nickname “The Unicorn” because of his unique style. He attacks the rim and uses his mobility to dominate the perimeter, rare for a 7-footer. But using his strength to stay in the post and score over stout defense might be a safer play.
Beyond his playing style, it’s clear he needs to get his body right. The Mavericks’ training staff worked to strengthen his core and change the way he moves.
This might be a big adjustment for Porzingis. He’s changing habits and tendencies he’s had for possibly his entire life. The way he runs will be different. The way he jumps will be different.
Or at least it should be.
The bottom line is, there’s a lot going on here. Strength, biomechanics, style, diet – it’s not as simple as putting on some extra muscle, which he’s done.
And as our above projections showed, Mavs fans might not see a Unicorn sighting this season. But there have been plenty of stars who tore their ACL and came back better than ever.
Until Kristaps’ return to basketball is complete, there will be some unanswered questions. The good news is, that return is just around the corner.
