Knicks owner says it is possible Kristaps Porzingis may miss all of the 2018-19 season

What's the story?

Larry Brooks of the New York Post recently spoke with New York Knicks owner James Dolan about the franchise superstar Kristaps Porzingis. The main focus of the conversation was the timetable for Porzingis' return after tearing his ACL in February.

In case you didn't know...

Porzingis was taken fourth overall in the 2015 NBA Draft. Though the pick was met with a cascade of boos from the Knicks fans in attendance, Porzingis quickly became a fan-favorite and also had one of the top-selling jerseys in the league.

The heart of the matter

Dolan told Brooks that Porzingis could potentially miss the entire 2018-19 season due to the ACL injury. The medical staff has told Dolan a timetable for return that ranges from December to not at all for next year.

The Knicks owner acknowledged that the team can't "sit on their a**" while Porzingis is unable to play, and they need to build a team to compete and integrate Porzingis when he is able to return from the injury.

Before the injury, Porzingis was having the best year of his career. He was named to the Eastern Conference All-Star team for the first time in his three-year career; while averaging a career-high 22.7 points per game.

What's next?

After a disappointing 11th place finish in the Eastern Conference, the New York Knicks turn to the NBA Draft Lottery on May 15th. The Knicks have a 2.5% chance of having the #1 pick and an 8.7% chance to land a top-three pick.

Author's take...

This headline is going to run all throughout New York today and will definitely scare the Knicks fan base. The timeframe of December and the end of the season is a long-range, so there are many things that can happen between now and then.

I think Dolan may have scared the Knicks fans for no reason, but at the same time, you have to applaud him for being upfront.