Kristaps Porzingis grindin' on his way back from his injury ?
(via @kporzee) pic.twitter.com/7jb1NDO3fU
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) July 5, 2018
Kristaps Porzingis of the New York Knicks is ramping up the rehab of his reconstructed ACL and he’s in the gym grinding his way back.
Kristaps Porzingis is on the road to recovery from surgery on his ACL. The New York Knicks hope he can return to form and right now, he’s doing everything he can to ensure that he does.
Jumping off boats for Kristaps Porzingis is great, but Knicks fans will probably be more excited to see him working in the gym.
Stages of ACL recovery — Kristaps Porzingis style:
1) Full extension
2) Weight bearing
3) Low-impact exercises
4) Swan diving off a yacht in Ibiza with a bikini model pic.twitter.com/lYdghDjC4r— Thomas Duffy (@TJDhoops) June 18, 2018
Porzingis tore his anterior cruciate ligament on Feb. 6 of last season right before he was weeks away from making his first All-Star Game appearance. Nevertheless, you will notice the intensity of his training and workout regiment in the video. Between the weight resisting workouts and engaged basketball activities, Porzingis looks to be right on schedule in his rehab recovery.
Prior to his injury, he was averaging 22.7 points per game and 6.7 rebounds. The 2017 season was on course to be a career best for Porzingis until he completely tore his ACL after landing awkwardly following a posterizing-trademark slam.
Coming back from an injury like this is significantly harder than others. Compile that with the fact that Porzingis stands seven foot, three inches, and it makes it that much more difficult to recover in a timely fashion.
However, from personally tearing my own ACL in each of my legs, the type of tear that Porzingis dealt with was one that was clean. Thus meaning, the tear to the ACL didn’t affect any other ligaments or muscles. When one tears their ACL they will usually have some type of tear in the meniscus or other ligaments as well — but Porzinigs isn’t in that boat (no pun intended). His orthopedic surgeon, David W. Altchek, had this to say:
“Your particular version of the injury has the best prognosis because you didn’t have any cartilage injury, any other ligament injury; none of the complicating negative factors. Which quite honestly, we usually see in NBA ACLs. So this is awesome.”
It is indeed awesome. As the Knicks organization and their fan base get set to endure a season that will consist of young talent struggles and development, this is some of the best news a Knicks fan can see.
For Porzingis it’s a big step in the right direction and one that will soothe the concerned Knicks brass.
