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  • Kristaps Porzingis to undergo surgery on left leg
    Kristaps Porzingis told ESPN’s Tim Bontemps after Monday’s win over the Mavericks that he will undergo surgery to address the dislocation of his left posterior tibialis.

    Advice: Porzingis did play in Monday’s title clincher but was clearly at less than full strength. While he was not under any official restrictions, the Celtics big man only played 16 minutes off the bench. Following the victory, Porzingis revealed that the injury will require surgery, and the rehabilitation process will last for a “few months.” With KP facing a prolonged absence, Al Horford’s fantasy value will receive a slight boost in drafts ahead of the 2024-25 season. Rotoworld Monday, 10:14 pm
     
  • Kristaps Porzingis plays 16 minutes in Game 5 win
    Kristaps Porzingis tallied five points (2-of-4 FGs, 1-of-2 FTs) and one rebound in 16 minutes in Monday’s 106-88 win over Dallas.

    Advice: Having picked up a DNP-CD in Game 4 despite being cleared to play, Porzingis logged 16 minutes off the bench on Monday. He wasn’t under any specific restrictions, but it was clear that the Celtics wouldn’t push him too far. The result was Boston’s 18th title in franchise history and the first for the “Unicorn.” After a stellar 2022-23 season in Washington, Porzingis being traded to Boston may have led to his being undervalued in fantasy basketball. Boasting a Yahoo ADP of 43.1, he provided top-15 per-game value in 9-cat formats and top-25 in 8-cat. The lone negative was availability. Porzingis only appeared in 57 games due to injury, with his absence boosting backup Al Horford’s fantasy value. Injuries were also an issue for Porzingis during the Celtics’ run through the playoffs, and he’s only appeared in at least 60 regular season games once (2022-23) since the 2016-17 campaign. KP is immensely valuable to fantasy managers when healthy, but that’s why his ADP is likely to take a hit. Rotoworld Monday, 8:36 pm
     
  • Coming off bench in Game 5
    Porzingis (lower leg) will come off the bench for Monday's Game 5 of the NBA Finals versus the Mavericks.

    Advice: Porzingis will again come off the bench for the Celtics, as he did in the first two NBA Finals games. In those two contests, Porzingis accumulated 32 points, 10 rebounds, five blocks and an assist while shooting 12-for-20 from the field. Prior to Game 5, head coach Joe Mazzulla said Porzingis will not have any restrictions after sitting out the last two games due to a left posterior tibialis dislocation, but Al Horford will remain in the starting lineup Monday. Rotowire.com Monday, 5:09 pm
     
  • Expected to play in Game 5
    Coach Joe Mazzulla said to expect Porzingis (lower leg) to play in Game 5 of the NBA Finals against Dallas on Monday, Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News reports.

    Advice: Porzingis was ruled out ahead of Game 3 after suffering a left posterior tibialis dislocation in the third quarter of Game 2. He got the green light for Game 4 but didn't see any playing time during the blowout loss. However, with the Celtics looking to close out the series at home, Porzingis won't have any restrictions, though it remains unclear if he'll be in the starting lineup. In Game 1, his first appearance after a 10-game absence due to a calf injury, Porzingis scored 20 points (8-13 FG) and blocked three shots in 21 minutes. Rotowire.com Monday, 3:50 pm