Dallas Mavericks Media Day took place on Sept. 30, and Coach Carlisle shared an injury update on Kristaps Porzingis. Get the latest here.
The Dallas Mavericks agreed to a five-year $158 million max contract with Kristaps Porzingis this offseason. They traded for the former All-Star last season, but the 7’3 big man has yet to suit up for the Mavs. He was recovering from a torn ACL suffered in Feb. 2018.
Mavericks supporters cannot wait to watch KP ball. They need him playing well to reach their goal of making the playoffs this season. Porzingis is a special talent that should thrive playing next to Luka Doncic.
Media Day was on Monday which officially kicked off the 2019-2020 season. Coach Carlisle gave fans an injury update on Porzingis which fans can see below courtesy of Dwain Price.
Carlisle on Porzingis' health: "He’s doing extremely well. He’s played in virtually every pickup game in preseason along with practicing with us the last month-and-a-half last season. And so at this point he’s doing very well. He has a lot of great qualities with his skill set."
— Dwain Price (@DwainPrice) September 30, 2019
It is exciting that the Unicorn is healthy. He stated that he is fully healthy on the Mavs.com broadcast from Media Day too. KP spoke about his excitement for the season and to be back playing.
His ability to shoot, score, and protect the rim is matched by no player in the NBA. Coach Carlisle also had this to say about Porzingis’ on-court skill set.
Here's what coach Rick Carlisle told me about Kristaps Porzingis: "Kristaps is an excellent shooter with great range and he has a lot of diverse skills with the ball. He drives it, he can post, he’s a good cutter, he can finish, he can see things and make passes." #Mavs @NBA
— Dwain Price (@DwainPrice) September 30, 2019
That should fire up Mavs fans for the season. Expect Coach Carlisle to find a plethora of ways to get Porzingis the ball on the offensive end. Doncic will be the best playmaker KP has played with in his NBA career. That could be scary considering that stats he produced in New York.
The 24-year-old will also be relied on as the anchor of the Mavericks defense. The scheme may funnel shooter into the paint where KP excels. That could be a significant boost to Dallas’ defense. Fans should keep an eye on the team’s plans during training camp.
A healthy Kristaps Porzingis is a dangerous player. Pairing him with an improved Luka Doncic will give headaches to every opposing team. Hopefully, the news stays positive on both stars heading into the Oct. 23 season opener.
The Smoking Cuban will be back with plenty more from Media Day plus Dallas Mavericks content all season long, so please check back with us often.