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This offseason marked a new chapter for Kristaps Porzingis. He found a new home with the Atlanta Hawks after spending the past two seasons with the Boston Celtics. Shortly after the offseason began, the Celtics traded the Latvian big man to Atlanta.
During his time with the Celtics, Porzingis often battled through injuries that limited his consistency. After putting up an impressive regular season last year, his performance slowed down during the playoffs. Now the real reason behind it has come to light.
According to Fred Katz, Porzingis was dealing with a rare condition known as POTS during the postseason. The illness causes a dramatic rise in heart rate when standing up.
“POTS, an autonomic condition that can dramatically increase a patients heart rate when standing up instead of spread horizontal… In his worst moments Porzingis’ heart rate could stabilize while laying down, but the act of standing up could rev it to 130 beats per minute,” Katz reported.
Porzingis averaged 19.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game throughout his 42 appearances in the regular season. He then only averaged 7.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 0.9 steals in 11 games in the playoffs.
Kristaps Porzingis Opens Up About His Struggles
The condition took a heavy toll on Porzingis, both physically and mentally. Speaking to The Athletic, he described just how difficult it was to compete while dealing with the illness.
“It hit me, and it hit me like a truck. The breathing wasn’t good. I did everything I could potentially to feel as good as I could, but my engine wasn’t running the way I wanted. You know how people say, ‘Oh, I’m so fatigued.’ I’ve never used those words. I don’t even like to speak in those terms, but I really was like that. At that time, I could lay on the couch and be a house cat,” Porzingis said.
Porzingis now has another opportunity to showcase his true potential. Former NBA guard Jeff Teague has already expressed confidence that the Hawks will make a deep playoff run with Porzingis on the roster. However, the real test will be whether he can stay healthy.
The post Kristaps Porzingis Quietly Dealt With A Serious Health Struggle During Last Postseason originally published on Total Pro Sports.