KP is looking much more strong and healthy

[Amare_1_Knicks]

Looks like he put on some muscle, for sure. Legs look thicker too.

[oaktownwarriors87]

How much stronger can his ACL really be after tearing it?

We be pictures of his quads!

[Capn'O]

Has he learned how to box out and secure rebounds?

[Illmatic12]

This may sound counterintuitive but the ACL injury may have actually extended KPs career, he’s very fortunate this injury happened to him now and not when he was older.

First off , the modern technology they use to reconstruct the ligament is basically 100% effective. Then once the actual surgery is done you spend the rest of your rehab building up all the surrounding muscles that support your leg. There are so many muscles groups most people don’t even know about that affect balance and mobility, during recovery process they target all of those muscles and strengthen them.

Basically a guy who came into the league with core + lower body issues got to spend an entire year strictly focused on lifting weights and strengthening the parts of his body that were giving him issues.

I think people will be surprised by Porzingis durability, strength and overall athleticism once he gets back to 100%. Knicks are never going to live this down, 20 years from now people will be talking about how they once had KP and screwed it up.

[Maury2423]

What really matters is how strong his legs are, especially his hamstrings, when they're 30-40 games into the season. Most players look great and improve their strength throughout the off season but lose all of it plus more during the season.

I think he'll be just fine, but he really needs to focus on strengthening his core and legs, especially the hamstrings to help protect that ACL.

[kulaz3000]

It's not uncommon for players coming from serious injuries to take their rehab time to rebuild their bodies, to become stronger, and this seems to apply for KP also which is a great sign. However, the biggest hurdle he will encounter is the mental aspect and how he will deal with once he steps on the floor.

The first season back, as fans I would lower expectations because he is going to be inconsistent as he regains confidence in his body that he can still do what he did previous to the injury. We are talking about people who relied so heavily on their bodies for the majority of their lives, so when it fails on them, it can linger in the back of your mind. Whether it's Grant Hill, McGrady, they often say the first season back is all about regaining the confidence, and it's the season after when you begin to truly let the injury go and go full blast as you normally would.

In the same breath, I expect Hayward to have a much better and more consistent season this year also. What you want to see from KP is glimpses of the potential he showed before the injury, and as long as he remains injury free throughout, with his added strength, health, it's the following season fans should look forward to the most with him and the Mavs.

[3toheadmelo]

Has he learned how to box out and secure rebounds?

People in here talkin bout he ready to play C

[Swish1906]

I think he'll be just fine, but he really needs to focus on strengthening his core and legs, especially the hamstrings to help protect that ACL.

Mavs have with Casey Smith one of the best athletic trainer in the League. He was a huge part in Dirk able to extend his career like that and was a big part of the old Ass 2011 team able to peak in the playoffs with 100 games in their legs.

You can bet that his focus with KP is injury protection with working on legs/core

[Swish1906]

Has he learned how to box out and secure rebounds?

Has Mills learned how to not hand out stupid contracts and use the Franchise Player to dump them 1.5 years later and trying to sell the new cap flexibility as huge win?

[Maury2423]

I think he'll be just fine, but he really needs to focus on strengthening his core and legs, especially the hamstrings to help protect that ACL.

Mavs have with Casey Smith one of the best athletic trainer in the League. He was a huge part in Dirk able to extend his career like that and was a big part of the old Ass 2011 team able to peak in the playoffs with 100 games in their legs.

You can bet that his focus with KP is injury protection with working on legs/core

Good stuff, nutrition during the season is going to be just as important but I'm sure they already know that lol

It's unfortunate things didn't work out with my Knicks but I wish him all the best.... his brother is annoying af tho lol

[Illmatic12]

I think he'll be just fine, but he really needs to focus on strengthening his core and legs, especially the hamstrings to help protect that ACL.

Mavs have with Casey Smith one of the best athletic trainer in the League. He was a huge part in Dirk able to extend his career like that and was a big part of the old Ass 2011 team able to peak in the playoffs with 100 games in their legs.

You can bet that his focus with KP is injury protection with working on legs/core

This. NBA trainers have ACL recovery down to a science and don’t miss any details, tbh most players nowadays actually come back STRONGER. I remember Zach Lavine said he actually measured with a higher vertical leap after coming back from his ACL tear.

This excerpt below is from an article I found. They identified the parts of his body that created the imbalance and pinpointed it with strength training .. apparently all of his injuries were on the left side of his body meaning there was a muscle imbalance that needed to be corrected. I’d bet we won’t keep seeing all those injuries on his left side anymore

During his rebab with the Mavericks, the training staff, headed by Casey Smith, focused on restructuring Porzingis’ core and balance with the intent of changing the way he moves. Throughout his career, he’s dealt with a number of injuries to the left side of his body. That’s a cause for concern.

“It would be irresponsible to ignore the fact that he’s had a left quad injury, a left hip injury, a left IT band injury, all these things in the left,” Jeff Stotts, a certified athletic trainer and injury analyst, told Bleacher Report in 2016. “Maybe there is something going on with that left kinetic chain. What you really need to do is address the weakest link in that chain if there is something that’s causing him to have a problem in that left side. You got to make sure that these seemingly minor things aren’t all connected and result in something major.”

That something major happened when he tore his ACL. Therefore, it’s no wonder why the Mavericks trainers wanted to address the left side of his body.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/doylerader/2019/08/30/kristaps-porzingis-injury-return-what-to-expect-dallas-mavericks/

[Senor Chang]

but does he look like Ivan Drago

[Johnny Bball]

Looks like he skipped a year of leg days.

[Jcity08]

Looks primed to bang it out in the low post, I wouldn't want to fight him for a rebound looking like that.

[igorbianch]

Looks like he skipped a year of leg days.

His leg is noticeably thicker.

[Capn'O]

Has he learned how to box out and secure rebounds?

Has Mills learned how to not hand out stupid contracts and use the Franchise Player to dump them 1.5 years later and trying to sell the new cap flexibility as huge win?

Look, I would have put the same thing on our forum if he were still with the Knicks. With regards to playing center, the above have been issues for KP moreso than strength or size. He is a poor rebounder, showed little improvement in his time with the Knicks, and it affects team strategy. You can believe me now or later. I'm overall high on his game - think he'll be in consideration for AS berths for years to come - but there are specific flaws that he needs to fix in a major way to be a truly elite player.


As for your question, Mills put a guy under him who knows how to manage money a little better. I doubt he personally has learned much in that regard.

[Lalouie]

when they come back from a really bad injury i'm sure they attack the weight room with more verve

[gavran]

Always a good idea to put on more upper body weight, after a serious knee injury.

[gavran]

Looks like he skipped a year of leg days.

KP's workout rutine.

Watch on YouTube

[mowcrowbar]

His arms are thicker than his legs... I wonder how being top heavy will help his injury tendencies.