OKLAHOMA CITY – Kristaps Porzingis has already been many things during his short time with the Warriors.
First, anticipated newcomer. Then hyper-analyzed debutant. Followed by sick coworker. And finally “OUT with ‘Illness’” on the daily injury report.
So when Porzingis’ name appeared next to “questionable” as the status, he added another label to his resume: Wild card of a playoff push.
Kerr confirmed during his pregame press conference on Saturday at Paycom Center that he expected Porzingis to play around 15 to 20 minutes in his second game with the Warriors.
“Probably in that range,” Kerr said. “We’ve got to see how he’s feeling once he’s out on the court.”
Porzingis looked fluid going through pregame shooting exercises with assistant coach Seth Cooper, sinking long range shot after long range shot.
But how should, and can, the Warriors expect from a center whose tantalizing scoring and shot-blocking talent is perhaps exceeded by his number of missed games?
Porzingis was diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) last year, an illness that can cause chronic exhaustion, brain fog, a feeling of illness and other symptoms.
There is no known cure.
It is not known if Porzingis’ recent sickness, which saw him suddenly fall ill the morning of the team’s win over the Nuggets on Feb. 22 after a week of consistent practice, is related to POTS. He practiced with the team for a week after that, but then became ill again and was knocked out of the next few games.
Porzingis returned to practice before the team’s matchup against the Rockets on Thursday, and he even took part in pregame shooting drills and knocked down several long-range jumpers at Toyota Center in Houston.
Those unblockable jump shots are the most notable reason Porzingis – who has played in only 60 games total the last two years – remains a valuable part of the team that traded Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield for Porzingis.
Porzingis is a career 36.6% 3-point shooter on high volume, and he flashed his potent scoring skills on both the perimeter and in the post in his only game against Boston.
He scored 12 points and knocked down two 3-pointers while also making a pair of turnaround jumpers. The scoring talent was obvious even in a 7-foot-3 body that has been worn down by injuries and illness.
It would, without a doubt, be a boon for a Warriors team that lost Jimmy Butler (ACL) for the season and will be without Steph Curry (runner’s knee) for at least another week.
But at this stage of Porzingis’ career, with his medical record and dearth of games played, expecting a savior for a team clinging to the eighth seed is irresponsible.
He has not played in a back-to-back since 2024, and was already on a 20 minutes-per-game limit for Golden State.
The Warriors still have five back-to-backs remaining, so even if he is physically able to play those games, Kerr and the medical staff will hold him out on one side of the pairing.
At this point, Porzingis will also be auditioning for a new contract. He is an unrestricted free agent this summer, and will need to show teams he can handle even a moderate role.
And there is no guarantee that Porzingis will remain illness-free for the rest of the year either.
When – or if – Porzingis returns, the center will give the Warriors a boost.
Just do not expect it to be too much.
Seth Curry injury update
Seth Curry has not played since Dec. 4 in Philadelphia, having been sidelined with sciatica. But after he through pregame shooting drills before Thursday’s win at the Rockets, and then was listed as questionable on Friday, it was clear Curry was nearing his return.
Curry was ruled out on Saturday, but Kerr said that he hopes that Steph’s younger brother will be able to play either Monday in Utah, or back in the Bay Area on Tuesday against the Bulls.
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