Thirteen months from the day he had left knee anterior cruciate ligament surgery, Kristaps Porzingis on Wednesday went through his first post-injury five-on-five practice.
Porzingis emerged feeling “great.” The ecstatic smile on his face was roughly proportional to the legendary 7-foot-6 wingspan on his 7-3 frame.
And for a few moments Porzingis even seemed to pry the door slightly ajar for a possible return to games this season - until a one-word emailed response from Mavericks owner Mark Cuban to The News for all intents re-slammed the door.
“No.”
It’s the prudent call. The Mavericks have every reason to save their treasured Jan.