GREENBURGH, N.Y. (AP) — Kristaps Porzingis is a one-of-a-kind player, a 7-foot-3 package strong enough to pound in the paint but with plenty of speed and shooting to play on the perimeter.
That's ideal for the basketball court.
Not so much for rehabbing a serious knee injury.
Porzingis said Monday his size has necessitated a slow recovery from a torn left ACL and prevents him or the New York Knicks from establishing a timetable for his return to action.
"We've done things differently because there is no protocol for a 7-3 guy," Porzingis said. "There is no timetable for my type of body, my size and all that. So we've done things differently. We've been really conservative and at the same time I've been killing myself working, so we're just going to have to keep moving forward and keep progressing and then see when is the right time for me to be back."
Porzingis was injured after a dunk in a Feb. 6 loss to Milwaukee, just before he was set to play in his first All-Star Game. He is doing light running and shooting but is not cleared to do anything serious enough to make an early season return likely.
"It's already been 7½ months so obviously I'm getting itchy and want to be back on the court as soon as possible, but it won't happen until I am 110 percent and I'm medically cleared," Porzingis said.
There is no reason to rush. The Knicks are a young team unlikely to challenge for a playoff spot, so they can prioritize their franchise player's health even if it means sitting Porzingis for most or all of the season.
He didn't rule that out, though he wants to play, and it would certainly help the Knicks attract free agents next summer if Porzingis can get back on the floor and show his array of skills that led Kevin Durant — potentially one of those free agents — to nickname him a unicorn.
Porzingis spent most of his summer in Europe so he could be near his home in Latvia, where he was visited by new Knicks coach David Fizdale. Porzingis, who played professionally in Spain before the Knicks drafted him with the No. 4 pick in 2015, did his rehabilitation with Real Madrid, saying those were the best facilities available. He said he's pleased with where he's at in his recovery — even though doctors who have worked on similar injuries can't say where exactly that is.
"Yeah, but they haven't done it on a 7-3 guy," said Porzingis, whose weight is listed at 240 pounds. "So I think it's something new for everybody and as I said we're trying to just be conservative and doing the right thing without pushing it too much."
He said all his energy is on his recovery, so he hasn't thought much about the contract extension he is eligible to sign before the season. It's unclear if the Knicks even intend to offer one, with both sides possibly feeling it's better to wait until next summer.
In the meantime, he intends to be around his Knicks teammates as much as possible, though he doesn't know if he will travel with them. But whenever he is around will be a benefit.
"We know he's not going to play beginning of the season, but at the same time we know that he's still going to be out there, giving us his insight, giving us his ideas of what he sees out there on the floor that can help the team throughout the way," swingman Tim Hardaway Jr. said. "So until he gets back we're going to hold down the fort."
