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Kristaps Porzingis and Steph Curry have yet to share the court together, and it’s anyone’s guess as to when they will.
Curry has missed the past 10 games with runner’s knee, and he’ll miss the next five, too. The Warriors announced on Sunday that he’ll be re-evaluated in 10 more days, extending the absence for what the team initially thought was a minor affliction.
Porzingis, meanwhile, has played just 17 of 384 possible minutes since joining the Warriors. Monday will mark his fifth straight missed game with an illness that has befuddled head coach Steve Kerr to the point where he had to walk back remarks he made on the radio.
The Warriors (31-29) are still planning on Curry returning before April’s postseason. But how much planning can they, or anyone, even really do with Porzingis?
Team after team has acquired Porzingis with the hope he could stay healthy and help contend. The talent has always been there. Keeping the injury-prone center on the floor is the hard part.
The night Porzingis introduced himself as a Warrior, Kerr said that he didn’t think the Warriors would have traded for him if they weren’t confident he’d be able to contribute. Golden State did its due diligence on Porzingis’ health, and Atlanta was on the verge of clearing him before the deadline.
It wasn’t Kerr’s fault, but he might as well have been Tobias Fünke from “Arrested Development.” (opens in new tab)
Did it work for those teams?
No, but it just might work for us.
The Celtics were the only team able to keep Porzingis healthy enough to win at the highest level, and he limped across the finish line. When Boston won the 2024 title, Porzingis missed two full playoff series and played in only two Finals games. Then he broke down in his second season with the franchise.
Golden State intended for Porzingis to spice up the second half of the season, injecting life into a team that already lost Jimmy Butler. He was to replace Jonathan Kuminga as a piece who fit more seamlessly, someone who could elevate Draymond Green with his rim protection and outside stroke.
Instead, the Warriors have been on their back foot trying to keep up with Porzingis’ availability. Kerr said on his weekly 95.7 The Game radio hit (opens in new tab) that he called Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh, who told him that Porzingis’ POTS diagnosis is “misinformation.”
Meanwhile, Porzingis has talked publicly (opens in new tab)about his POTS symptoms. A day later, Kerrr said it was “a stupid mistake” to talk about something he’s unqualified to discuss.
So, Kerr is left to speak in generalities about Porzingis’ status.
“He’s sick, so he’ll be out,” Kerr said. “We’ll see about Monday. We’re not sure yet.”
1 day ago
4 days ago
Friday, Feb. 20
“I can’t really say anything,” Kerr added. “It’s a medical issue way beyond my capabilities of explaining anything. He’s sick, he won’t play, we’ll keep monitoring him.”
There’s more certainty with Curry, but not much. He described his patellofemoral pain syndrome as “weird” and “unpredictable” to ESPN on Saturday. He and the team were optimistic that he would return to the court after the All-Star break, but Curry reported discomfort when he rejoined the group in San Francisco and was unable to scrimmage.
After sitting out 10 games, he’ll need at least 10 more days to rest and recover. Curry missed all of February and won’t return until at least mid-March, his team destined for a play-in spot.
The concept of Curry and Porzingis is tantalizing. The Warriors have never had a threat like him from the center position, a rim-protecting, outside-shooting force at 7-foot-2.
But it’s nothing more than a concept. At this point in Porzingis’ career, it’d be foolish to rely on him.
But the Warriors are. At least they’ve said they are. General manager Mike Dunleavy said the idea was for Porzingis to give the club a lift like Butler did after last year’s deadline.
“We recognize the risk medically, but it’s a risk/reward” Dunleavy said.
That calculation, so far, hasn’t worked in Golden State’s favor.
Why would it? The evidence is stacked against Porzingis putting together a healthy two-month stretch.
Since the 2021-22 season, Porzingis has played in 233 of 388 games, missing 40% of possible games. Klay Thompson, five years older and coming off his ACL and Achilles injuries, has played more games in that span (303). So has the oft-injured Anthony Davis (243). Porzingis has played just four more games than Paul George and eight more than Joel Embiid since 2022.
Porzingis’ career has been interrupted by a torn ACL and meniscus, a rare leg injury, plus calf and Achilles issues. Seven-footers with lower leg issues don’t tend to get healthier as they age.
Porzingis has every reason to prove he can stay on the court and contribute to the Warriors. He’s on a $30 million expiring deal, playing for his next contract. If the Warriors’ well-regarded medical staff can’t figure him out, will any other team invest in him?
The Warriors, likewise, have every reason to help Porzingis back to the floor. They’re in no position to tank, and the stretch center is a new weapon to try to compete. Getting him and Curry healthy and back together is their only chance to put a scare into a playoff team.
Neither having a specific timetable to return is daunting.
Maybe Porzingis is on the mend and returns to the court for the final six weeks. Maybe the illness that caused this five-game absence was random and unrelated to POTS. Maybe he’s about ready to turn the corner on the very real and very serious ailments that are threatening his career. Maybe we won’t see him again.
Nobody knows. There’s confusion and mystery, ambiguity, and uncertainty.
But there shouldn’t really be any surprises. This is what the Warriors signed up for.