Hawks’ center Kristaps Porzingis reveals illness in sit-down interview
In an interview with the New York Times published on Wednesday, Hawks center Kristaps Porzingis revealed the cause of the illness that plagued him during the NBA playoffs last season.
The 30-year-old shared that doctors diagnosed him with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, often called POTS. It is an autonomic condition that causes a patient’s heart rate to spike when they stand up.
If left untreated or misdiagnosed, those with POTS could deal with increased heart rate, dizziness and fatigue when going from laying down to sitting up or standing.
“You know how people say, ‘Oh, I’m so fatigued,’” Porzingis told Fred Katz. “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 just lay on the couch and be a house cat.”
The news of Porzingis’ diagnosis explains why the 7-3 center was limited to 42 games last season. Porzingis averaged 19.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists last season and has already had an impact on the Hawks’ offense in one game.
In the team’s opener against the Raptors on Wednesday, Porzingis had 20 points, seven rebounds and two assists.
But the Hawks did not have their center for their matchup against the Magic in Orlando on Friday because of flu-like symptoms.
Porzingis went through the team’s shootaround on Friday morning in what appeared to be preparation for the night’s matchup. But he began to feel unwell in the afternoon.
So, the Hawks could have a plan for managing Porzingis’ minutes when they have back-to-back games. With Porzingis’ injury history, the Hawks would aim to do their best to keep him as healthy as possible throughout the season.
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