The Boston Celtics have been preparing for a Kristaps Porzingis injury all season long

After the game, Porzingis was seen exiting the visitor's locker room in a walking boot. Now, as we await further news, the anxiety begins to set in.

It's no secret that injury management and prevention has been a front-of-mind concern for the Celtics and President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens. Since Stevens has been with the organization — first as a coach, then as an executive — perhaps no team has been made more aware of the importance of health in the postseason. The Celtics have seen crucial players such as Isaiah Thomas, Marcus Smart, Gordon Hayward (multiple times), Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Robert Williams III either miss time in the postseason or have their play dramatically affected by nagging injuries.

The Celtics don't want to see any of their players miss time in the postseason, but for many reasons, Kristaps Porzingis sits at the forefront of this emphasis. When Stevens acquired the 7-foot-2 center, he knew he was bringing in an immense talent, but one that was also somewhat damaged goods. Health has been the rub on Porzingis for nearly his entire NBA career; since tearing his left ACL in 2018, he's averaged just 55 games played per season. This year, he played in 57, averaging a shade under 30 minutes per night.

Some of this is by design. Stevens and head coach Joe Mazzulla have taken a very deliberate track to limit the wear and tear on Porzingis' body, sitting him on one half of the team's back-to-backs and maintaining a short leash with the smaller injuries he accrued over the progression of the season. Objectively, you could say the strategy worked — Porzingis avoided major injury this year, and entered the postseason at more or less full strength.

All that in mind, the Celtics' entire season has led to this moment. They've carefully managed the workloads of their roster all year long, and in the process, they've put themselves in position to compensate for an absence from Porzingis as best as could be expected.

Joe Mazzulla sits down for his post-game presser and says he has no update on Kristaps Porziņģis. He says Jayson Tatum was moving OK and looks like he is fine.

— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) April 30, 2024

After the Game 4 win, coach Joe Mazzulla informed the media that he had no update on Porzingis' status, and discussed how the team moves forward with a potential absence from their star center. "We're bringing the same mindset, intentionality, toughness, details to the next game," he asserted. "Regardless of who's out there, we have different identities."

Those identities make themselves evident in the players who will be tasked with replacing Porzingis' minutes. Stevens and the Celtics have put together a collection of diverse bigs that give them options in the five-spot while the 7-footer heals.

It helps that the Celtics enjoy the services of perhaps the most overqualified backup center in basketball in Al Horford. Now 38 years young, Horford has transitioned into a sixth man role for the Celtics for much of the season, flexing into the starting lineup as the fifth starter whenever one of the usual starting five has sat out. Horford doesn't have enough gas in the tank to lock down the five spot for 40 minutes every night anymore, but in relief of Porzingis, he has plenty to offer. His defense is as steady and versatile as ever, and he can maintain Joe Mazzulla's five-out tendencies offensively as a 40%+ three-point shooter from the center position in his own right.

Mazzulla singled out Horford's performance in Porzingis' absence on Monday night. "I thought Al was tremendous," he stated. Pressed into a 33-minute outing, Horford's stats didn't necessarily jump off the page — he scored seven points, grabbed eight boards, dished two assists and blocked a shot — but he recorded a plus-minus of +15, second on the team to only Jaylen Brown on the evening. His physicality was valuable against star Heat center Bam Adebayo.

Horford discussed his feelings on Porzingis' injury in his postgame conference. "Worried, just concerned," he said. "Any time that any of your guys go back, especially him, the way that he was walking, definitely concerning for me." He added: "I just hope it's nothing serious and he can get back to us quick."

The star of the Game 4 win, Derrick White, added some consolation of his own. "I wish the best for him," said White. "I hate to see that happen. He works so hard. One of the best players in this game. I told him we got his back ... We've got a lot of trust and faith in this whole roster and we're going to need everybody."

Deeper down the depth chart, the Celtics have set up their reserves to deliver on White's promise. Journeyman center Luke Kornet has been a multi-year project for this team, and the investment really appeared to pay off this season as he thrived in a third-center role. He's an efficient play finisher (70% FG) and capable rim protector who can certainly provide an effective 10-15 minutes on a given night. Kornet has struggled with injuries himself this postseason, but was cleared to play for Game 3 of this series, recording five minutes in the blowout win. He didn't appear in Game 4 until the Celtics emptied the bench late in the contest, but will undoubtedly factor into the Game 5 equation if Porzingis can't go.

Joining Kornet amongst the reserves is the gem of their trade deadline haul, former Memphis center Xavier Tillman Sr. The 25-year-old center is like Horford in microcosm — a similarly sized big man with a comparably versatile defensive game. He doesn't bring the sort of offensive value that Horford does — he's mostly a non-entity on that end, in desperate need of a reliable jumper — but in situations that require a defensive focus, he can contribute. Wildcard youngster Neemias Queta is also waiting in the wings, in the event the Celtics need a spark of energy and athleticism in a given matchup.

None of this is to say the Celtics are better off without Kristaps Porzingis, or that they should feel good about his current uncertain status. Of course, neither of these things are true. Porzingis is clearly the third-most important player on this roster — perhaps the second, if you're feeling spicy — and this team can't achieve its absolute ceiling without him. Boston's wins in Game 1 and Game 3 of this first round series hinged on dominant outings from The Unicorn.

No injury is a good injury, but having been burned in the past on more than one occasion, the Boston Celtics have done their due diligence and put themselves in position to succeed despite this kind of adversity. With Porzingis now ailing — and Tatum nursing an ankle injury after Adebayo stepped under his practice jumper in the fourth quarter — that adversity has arrived. It's time for the Celtics to put their depth to the test and forge their way forward in the Eastern Conference Playoffs.

If you ask the man himself? Everything's going to be just fine.

good W tonight. DWhite is special!!

Thanks for all the support, will be good

— Kristaps Porzingis (@kporzee) April 30, 2024