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Knicks rookie Porzingis dealing with 'mild' quad strain

William Hauser-USA TODAY Sports

New York Knicks rookie Kristaps Porzingis is dealing with a "very mild" left quad strain, the forward told reporters Monday.

Porzingis will sit out the team's preseason game on Monday, but head coach Derek Fisher is hopeful he'll return to action by Friday.

"Not that serious," Porzingis said Monday. "I'll be fine."

Fisher indicated that the team is less concerned with this injury than they were with an earlier quad injury, even though this is now the third non-contact leg injury that has slowed Porzingis since June. He also admitted it's "possible" that Porzingis' run of left-side injuries are connected, something that wouldn't be unique to Porzingis among big men.

The No. 4 overall pick is in line to start at power forward for the Knicks, a position he's still working on earning through training camp. Tasked with putting on weight, learning the triangle offense, improving his running gait, and adjusting to life in the NBA in general, Porzingis has a lot on his plate without injuries, and setbacks could impede his ability to hit the ground running later this month.

Porzingis has gotten into two preseason games, scoring 16 points on six-of-15 shooting while grabbing 12 rebounds in 42 minutes of action. Expectations are high in Gotham, but Knicks fans may need to practice patience with Porzingis, as few rookies - even top-five picks - are great right out of the gate.

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