Kristaps Porzingis is expected to make his debut with the Washington Wizards in the game against the Indiana Pacers Sunday night.
The news were first reported by Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. Porzingis has started his career injured in Washington after being part of a trade that sent him to the Wizards in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie, who joined the Mavericks.
Kristaps Porzingis is expected to be available tomorrow to make his Wizards debut, @NBCSWashington has learned. As long as things go well in shootaround, it is looking good for him to play. — Chase Hughes (@ChaseHughesNBCS) March 5, 2022
The former Mavs’ big has constantly been on the injury list since he was severely injured in his last season with the Knicks.
Porzingis is the latest high-profile player that the Wizards hope will fit well with Bradley Beal. However, Beal is out for the season with a wrist injury.
In any case, Porzingis will have time to get used to the team’s system and head coach Wes Unseld Jr’s plays.
This season, Porzingis is averaging 19.2 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.7 blocks per game. Playing alongside Daniel Gafford and Kyle Kuzma will be an interesting lineup even without Beal.
“Just imagine him and Gaff out there. That’s going to be sick. Then, you’ve got Kuz at 6’9, 6-10. We’ve got great size. We’ve never had that,” Beal said Thursday.
Porzingis participated for the first time in a 5-on-5 scrimmage Thursday. He missed his eighth consecutive game after the trade and now is ready to make his debut.
“We want to see what he looks like. I think on paper, you have some ideas in your mind of how it’s supposed to look, but you want to see it in action,” Unseld Jr. said (h/t to NBC Sports Washington).
“His talent, his skillset and his abilities add another dimension for us. All those things we think we know, but how does it fit?”
In any case, Porzingis could be a fitting player for the Wizards going forward. On paper, the combination of shooting and size could help Washington build a good squad around him and Bradley Beal.
Comments