2 min read • February 02, 2022
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What does the future hold for recently-injured Dallas Mavericks Kristaps Porzingis and Tim Hardaway Jr.?
Kristaps Porzingis
Hybrid big man Kristaps Porzingis remains out with lingering right knee soreness, staying behind in Dallas on the team's recent road trip to receive treatment on the surgically-repaired joint.
Porzingis previously tore his right lateral meniscus in August 2020 before undergoing a surgery to trim off the cartilage that October.
Based on the timeline of events and his previous meniscal damage, our ProBasketballDocs see 2 possibilities for the 25-year-old’s knee: short-term, manageable soreness stemming from past injuries, or a 2nd tear of the meniscus that would likely require surgery.
Because of the lack of clear evidence of trauma, it is hard to identify whether another tear took place, but his next steps in treatment should give us an indication.
Regardless, the soreness is worrisome.
The best-case scenario for Porzingis is load management throughout the remainder of the season, similar to his return process last year that saw him miss time sporadically for right knee soreness.
The worst-case scenario, conversely, is a 2nd trim to fix his left meniscus, not only keeping him out into the spring, but further risking arthritis.
Bulls’ guard Lonzo Ball went through a similar ordeal earlier this month before opting to have a 2nd surgery to repair a torn meniscus.
Similarly with Ball, Porzingis attempted to forgo surgery in 2020 by taking a platelet-rich plasma injection in his knee, a treatment that was not as effective as they hoped.
The Mavericks are 29-22, comfortably 6th in West with help from Porzingis, who is averaging 19.2 points with 7.7 rebounds on 45% shooting.
Tim Hardaway Jr.
Reserve shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr. underwent surgery today to repair the fractured fifth metatarsal in his left foot, also known as a Jones fracture, he suffered in last Tuesday's loss to the Warriors.
Hardaway Jr. will be out indefinitely as he attempts to recover from the stress fracture, but the Mavericks should not count on him returning and contributing this season.
As Pelicans' star Zion Williamson has experienced this year – and fellow name-brand players Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid, and Ben Simmons have experienced in the past – the Jones fracture is a frustrating and finicky injury to heal from.
The stress fracture of the metatarsal, or the long bone connected to the toe on the outside of the foot, is caused by a lack of blood flow in the foot, slowing and complicating the recovery process, which often involves setbacks and follow-up surgeries. Even with a smooth track, the path back is a long one.
The 29-year-old, who is averaging 14.2 points on a surprisingly low 39.4% shooting this season, will need to stay off his foot for a time before slowly ramping up his activity as he tests the bone.
With 31 games left in the regular season, which will end in 10 weeks, Dallas is unlikely to have Hardaway Jr. in tow unless Luka Doncic can lead a deep playoff run.
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