Kristaps Porziņģis, the star 7-foot-2 veteran center who won an NBA championship in 2024 with the Boston Celtics, was a big get for the Atlanta Hawks this summer. The Hawks acquired in a trade with Boston, which was in cost-cutting mode after its stunning loss in the second round of the playoffs to the New York Knicks.
Going into the playoffs, the Celtics appeared poised to repeat as world champions. But Porzingis dealt with a mysterious illness and performed poorly in the postseason, and it was a reason they collapsed so dramatically against New York.
It was unknown what exactly was afflicting the Latvian native this past spring. According to an article in The Athletic by Fred Katz, Porzingis admitted that he was eventually diagnosed with a lesser-known medical condition.
“Doctors later diagnosed him with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, he said, more commonly referred to as POTS, an autonomic condition that can dramatically increase a patient's heart rate when standing up instead of spread horizontal,” Katz wrote. “Handled wrong - or not yet diagnosed - and POTS can lead to extreme exhaustion or dizziness.
“In his worst moments, Porziņģis' heart rate could stabilize while he was lying down, but the act of standing up could rev it to 130 beats per minute.”
In the 2025 playoffs, Porzingis averaged 7.7 points in 21 minutes a game and shot just 31.6% from the field and 15.4% from 3-point range. The former All-Star admitted that the malady greatly affected his ability not only to play pro basketball but simply to function.
"It hit me, and it hit me like a truck," Porziņģis said. "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."
The 30-year-old was back in action on Wednesday when Atlanta kicked off its 2025-26 regular-season schedule. Although Atlanta lost 138-118 to the Toronto Raptors, Porzingis didn’t do too badly, as he played 26 minutes and finished with 20 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two blocks.
Mainly because of him, many believe the Hawks could be a dark-horse team in the Eastern Conference this season. The Achilles injuries Celtics star Jayson Tatum and Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton suffered in last season’s playoffs have opened things up for other teams, and the Hawks are looking to squeeze their feathers in and peck some of the East’s big movers and shakers.
They also added Nickeil Alexander-Walker, a 3-and-D wing, veteran center Clint Capela and sharpshooter Luke Kennard during the offseason.
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