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Just about the entire lead-up to Kristaps Porzingis’ Warriors debut was glowing.
The Warriors have never had a player quite like him, Steve Kerr said.
Like Victor Wembanyama, he’s a matchup nightmare, De’Anthony Melton said.
The 7-foot-2, sweet-shooting shot-blocker should fit the Warriors’ system seamlessly. Just his presence should make everyone else’s jobs on the court easier.
“Hell of a player, I’m happy he’s on our side, for sure,” Draymond Green said.
Everyone with the Warriors has good reason to be optimistic about the deadline acquisition. He was one of the original, modern-era unicorns, after all. But everything with Porzingis is conditional on his health. He returned on Thursday after over a month away from the court as he dealt with POTS and Achilles tendinitis.
The layoff showed as Porzingis, 30, looked rusty in his Warriors debut — although he got stronger as the game went on. He finished with 12 points, one rebound, one assist, two turnovers, and a block in 17 minutes. He spent four minutes next to Green, eight playing with Al Horford, and five as the lone big in a smaller lineup.
“It was alright,” Porzingis said. “Far from being in perfect shape, but for a first game back after a while, getting some energy back, feeling good.”
Thursday’s 121-110 loss to the Celtics was Porzingis’ first game action since Jan. 7. Integrating a player, especially one who needs to knock off that much rust, during the season can be tricky.
Porzingis’ rust showed when he was a step slow, most often defensively, like on this play during his first stint.
NBA.com
Porzingis’ job on that pick-and-roll coverage is to hedge and force the ball out of Payton Pritchard’s hands. Instead, he doesn’t get his foot on the sideline, allowing Pritchard to turn the corner.
That play came during the four-minute stretch he spent next to Green. That duo has the potential to be rather potent, as Porzingis’ ability to stretch the floor should open up space for Green offensively and his rim-protection ability should let Green play free safety.
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The combination didn’t fare well in its first stint. The Celtics went on a 17-2 run and Porzingis committed an ugly turnover out of the post.
It’d be foolish to make grand conclusions off a four-minute sample. Especially one without Steph Curry, who will miss at least the next five games with runner’s knee and has an undefined timetable for return.
“We already know that it’s harder for us to play two bigs without Steph,” Kerr said. “Steph defies all rules of spacing. And without him, it’s just trickier to play two bigs. But, Draymond and Kristaps and Al are all really important players for us. So we’ve got to figure that out. We’re not just going to keep them separate from each other. They’re three of our best players, and we’re going to have to find better rhythm when two of them are out there together, for sure.”
Porzingis and Green talked with each other on the bench after they checked out. When Porzingis returned, he joined a lineup with Horford in the frontcourt as well as Brandin Podziemski, Will Richard, and Gui Santos.
Porzingis scored his first bucket as a Warrior when he dunked after bobbling an entry pass. He’d earned advantageous position because Derrick White fronted him. Then he nailed a 3-pointer at the end of the shot clock after a broken play.
But the most interesting play in his second stint didn’t end in a bucket.
NBA.com
Porzingis catches the ball in his kill spot. This year, he’s shooting 48% on midrange shots, ranking in the 70th percentile among centers, per Cleaning The Glass. He has never been much of a rim-runner, despite his massive frame, instead profiling as a mismatch-hunting jump shooter.
“He’s a mismatch problem,” Richard said postgame.
The threat of Porzingis’ jumper forces Boston to send a double team at him in the mid-post. The center recognizes it early, kicking out to the perimeter. That starts the kind of swing-swing chain reaction the Warriors want.
Santos swings the ball over to Richard, who had just come off a Podziemski pin-in screen. Maybe Richard could’ve gotten all the way to the rim because he ran through the catch, but instead, he dishes back up top to Santos for a missed 3.
It’s so hard for the Warriors to create advantages in the halfcourt without Curry and Jimmy Butler. Porzingis being a hub on the block or at the elbow extended should be a consistent source of forcing an opposing defense into rotation. It did so on that play, but the Warriors didn’t capitalize.
If “creating advantages” and “forcing a defense into rotation” is too jargony, the Celtics put together a 48-minute explainer video on the terms during the game. Just note how many players pass the ball, how many Celtics touch the paint, and how much ground Porzingis has to cover on this possession.
Even the best-conditioned, quick-on-their-feet centers in the league would’ve struggled on that closeout.
Porzingis was at his most effective at the top of the fourth quarter, when he served as the lone big man in Warriors lineups. That stretch also happened to come mostly against the Celtics’ reserves, as Golden State trailed by 19 points after three quarters.
Still, it was an encouraging glimpse at what Porzingis will bring.
One element he’ll bring, for sure, is range.
NBA.com
A 7-foot-2 center pulling up without hesitation 31 feet from the rim. That’s what Kerr meant when he said Golden State has never had a player quite like him.
Porzingis isn’t just a career 36% 3-point shooter, he takes 3-pointers at high volume and from way behind the arc. Both those dynamics have significant benefits for an offense. Teams need to respect him 30 feet from the hoop, stressing the defense.
That skill can also be valuable in transition, an area the Warriors have struggled in of late. He likes to trail plays and launch 3s from distance. Picture Curry weaving through the wash, attracting multiple defenders, and leaving an open Porzingis in his wake.
Porzingis’ first game wasn’t perfect. He’s still getting his wind, though he hopes to quickly increase his minutes load. He’s only had one practice with the full team. His timing was off at the rim defensively, and he’ll have to work out early issues playing alongside Green.
But glimpses of hope are all he could’ve provided in 17 minutes, and glimpses there were.
“You can see his talent,” Kerr said. “His feel for the game, his ability to space the floor, protect the rim. So, it’s good to have him on our team, that’s for sure.”