Rick Carlisle Kristaps Porzingis
Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle talks with newly acquired Dallas Mavericks forward Kristaps Porzingis (6) during practice at American Airlines Center in Dallas on Monday, February 4, 2019. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News)

Kristaps Porzingis is set to make his preseason debut with the Dallas Mavericks against the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday (09/10).

The Latvian power forward/center will make his first appearance on the floor since February 2018, when he suffered a serious injury that sidelined him for almost 20 months.

“I was trying to renegotiate that and play both games. But at the end, they wanted me to rest today and tomorrow I’ll be good to go.

I can’t wait. Game days are special days. It’s weird to sit out a game. I didn’t want to do that. So I’m very excited,” Porzingis told the official website of the Mavericks.

For his part, head coach Rick Carlisle added that “we’ll have Luka and Kristaps playing, which will change things for us. It’s scheduling – a hard practice (Monday), relatively light today, a game Wednesday, an off day Thursday.

It’s a spacing thing based on the schedule. It was talked about long ago, so we just got to stick to that plan. It has nothing to do with any disrespect to Oklahoma. It’s a math equation more than anything.”

Luka Doncic will also make his preseason debut against the Pistons on Wednesday.