Kristaps Porzingis has a unique ability to radically transform a team without being a traditional star, and the trade by the Atlanta Hawks to acquire the big man was one of the best moves the team could have made. However, Porzingis missed nearly all of the postseason with a mysterious illness.
Brad Stevens described Porzingis's illness as post-viral syndrome, a phenomenon where a person experiences lingering effects after recovering from a virus. While not necessarily rare, it is a condition that rarely impacts professional athletes to the extent it affected Porzingis.
Porzingis was candid about his symptoms during the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Knicks, where he said, "I’m just not feeling my best.