If you're concerned about Kristaps Porzingis' ability to stay healthy this season, your fears haven't exactly been quelled this week.
Porzingis appeared to be injury-free this offseason when he arrived in late June via a blockbuster trade and was named to Latvia's roster for the 2023 FIBA World Cup, which begins in late August. On Wednesday, however, Rupert Fabig of the German media outlet Hamburger Abendblatt reported there are "growing concerns" that Porzingis may miss the World Cup due to a foot injury.
That's obviously not a great development. But on Thursday, the Latvia National Team's official social media account denied Fabig's report, claiming that Porzingis is continuing to train and prepare for the World Cup.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Here's an English translation of the Latvian team's post:
"There has been information that questions the participation of Kristaps Porzingis in the FIBA World Cup. LBS denies this information.
"Both the players' individual preparation plans and the team's overall training process are ongoing. The line-up for the match against the Dominican Republic will be announced on August 12."
Boston Celtics
Latvia is scheduled to play an exhibition match against the Dominican Republic on Saturday, so if Porzingis is in the lineup, that would confirm he's not injured.
UPDATE (3:45 p.m. ET): Porzingis posted three videos to his Instagram story Thursday afternoon that feature him going through shooting and on-court drills with Team Latvia. The big man doesn't appear to show any signs of injury in the videos.
It's possible Porzingis is just dealing with a minor ailment, and that the Celtics and the Latvian Team are considering holding him out of competition out of an abundance of caution. Porzingis has dealt with multiple injuries in the past, after all -- his 65 games played last season were his most since 2016-17 -- and Boston is one year removed from losing Danilo Gallinari from a torn ACL in international competition last summer.
If Porzingis had a more serious injury, the team probably would have shut him down already, and the fact that Latvia refuted this report should put Celtics fans (somewhat) at ease as they wait to get their first look at the 7-foot-3 big man in action.