CHICAGO -- It's been a little over two years since Kristaps Porzingissuffered a torn ACL in his left knee, right before he was set to make his first All-Star appearance in 2017. It has taken some time for him to get back to looking like his old self, but the ex-New York Knicksstar appears to be finally rounding back into form.
Through the first three months of the 2019-20 season, it was clear that Porzingis was still working through a considerable amount of rust after not playing in an NBA game in two years. During that he was averaging 17 points per game, but also shooting below 40 percent from the field for the first time in his career. The Mavericks were ultimately more effective on offense with him off the floor than on it, and a 10-game absence due to right knee soreness put a halt to his progression. The Mavericks, though, were still able to win games without Porzingis fully integrated into the offense, in large part due to Luka Doncic's early season play that had him in MVP conversations after the first month.
The thought was that when Porzingis was able to get it going, the Mavericks would become a threat in the West. It didn't have to happen this season -- he signed a five-year, $158 million deal last summer -- but whenever he got his feet back under him and established a strong chemistry with Doncic, this team would be a force to be reckoned with over the next few years. While the chemistry between he and Doncic will be an ongoing project, Porzingis' play over the past month indicates that he's returned to his pre-injury, unicorn form.
"It's a compilation of things that are clicking," Porzingis said. "I've been putting in a lot of work on the basketball court and it results into confidence when I'm playing. It's easier for me to find a rhythm throughout the game and it's the system, coaches, teammates all those things. It takes time. I feel like I'm hitting my stride and it's a good feeling."
The main change that's unlocked Porzingis' full offensive game is the move from power forward to center. After Mavericks forward Dwight Powell went down with a torn Achilles tendon tear in late January, Rick Carlisle decided to slide Porzingis down to the starting center spot, a break away from the power forward position he's played for the majority of his career. Since that switch, it's been a night and day difference in his play on offense. Before the move, Porzingis was used as a spot-up shooter 27 percent of the time on offense, where he was making just 37.3 percent of his shots. When you have someone of his size and skill, relegating him to standing around the 3-point arc while waiting for someone to give him the ball isn't the best use of his talents.
Now, without Powell to run the highly effective pick-and-roll game with Doncic, Porzingis is now allowed to slide into that role and not only pop out for jumpers but roll to the rim for highlight-level finishes. It has resulted in increased trips to the free-throw line for Porzingis, higher averages across the board and his on/off numbers have improved significantly.
Power Forward
17.0
9.4
39.7
33.5
3.8
72.7
113.7
116.6
Center
23.9
9.3
47.9
39.5
6.3
83.2
121.0
109.0
Porzingis' numbers are even more impressive in his first full month playing center for the Mavericks in February, particularly in the month's final week, earning him his first Player of the Week award since the 2017 season.
"I think it's a real validation of the work he's put in not only the last few months of this season but the previous 18 months leading into this season. It's great to see," Carlisle said.
There is one caveat in all of this, though. While Porzingis has been on a tear the last month, some of that has been without Doncic in the lineup. Both players have missed time due to various injuries, and when Doncic isn't in the lineup, Porzingis is often putting up his best performances. Against the Timberwolves last Sunday, he tied his season high of 38 points in a rout over Minnesota without Doncic. When Doncic was sidelined for seven games in early February, beginning with a contest against the Houston Rockets, Porzingis went off for 35 points in the loss.
However, in the last five or six games the pair have played together, their chemistry looks to be growing significantly on the floor. In the Mavs' final game before the All-Star break against the Sacramento Kings, Porzingis and Doncic combined for 60 points while displaying a glimpse of how dangerous they can be together in the future. In the first game back from that week-long break, they followed it up with a combined 57-point outing, which included a triple-double for Doncic and double-double for Porzingis.
"We're clicking more as time goes on," Porzingis said. "He's getting a feel for me and I'm getting a feel for him and now that I'm at the 5 -- it doesn't really matter 4 or 5 -- but when I'm at the top of the key starting the offense, I feel more comfortable in that position. I think these last 10, 20, 30 games we've gotten a better feel for each other and I think over time it's only going to get better."
Since that game against the Kings, Porzingis and Doncic have combined to score 77.4 points a night, and posted a net rating of plus-12.6 when they share the floor during that span. Compare that to just the 57.9 combined points and plus-2.5 net rating they were putting up before that, and it's clear to see that there's been strides made in their chemistry.
At the start of the season, Doncic was doing a lot of the heavy lifting for Dallas while Porzingis familiarized himself with this new franchise and worked back from a severe injury. Five months later, though, and it looks like Porzingis is capable of sharing the weight with Doncic, and that should be scary for opposing teams in the future.
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How Kristaps Porzingis regained his All-Star form while taking chemistry with Luka Doncic to another level - CBS Sports