Golden State Warriors' Kristaps Porzingis is set to miss his sixth straight game, with an illness continuing to plague the center.
After trading Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield to the Atlanta Hawks at the trade deadline, the Warriors have only gotten a single game out of Porzingis, a guy they envisioned fitting in perfectly next to Stephen Curry and Draymond Green due to his unique combination of size, defense, and shooting.
But obviously, things have gone awry for the big man. Not long after his debut against the Boston Celtics, in which he scored 12 points in a limited 17 minutes, Porzingis fell ill and has not returned since.
And details have been sparse regarding what Porzingis is suffering through. Other than when coach Steve Kerr told reporters ahead of the Denver Nuggets game that Porzingis was too sick to leave his hotel room, the team has been mum on his condition.
“It's a little mysterious,” Kerr told reporters earlier this week. “We're obviously working with him and hoping that he can get some clarity, and he can kind of break through and get to a point where he's consistently healthy. But that's something that the medical staff is working hard on with him, and, yeah, I'm not gonna even posit any theory, any medical theories anymore.”
As for whether Porzingis has been able to even practice, Kerr said that he was a full participant in last Friday's practice. However, come Monday's shootaround ahead of the Los Angeles Clippers game, Porzingis did not participate as it appears his illness continues to hamper him.
When will Porzingis return?
It's just a confusing situation all around, one that the Warriors have kind of contributed to, albeit unintentionally. Steve Kerr had to walk back some comments he made in a radio interview in which he said Porzingis' POTS diagnosis was “misinformation” amid speculation that his current illness was due to that specific condition.
Porzingis's obvious history with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome has cost him games in the past. But the Warriors haven't confirmed if this current illness is connected to that condition.
If there is one encouraging development for the big man, it is that he made the road trip with the team. Previously, Porzingis stayed back in the Bay for the Dubs' two-game back-to-back road trip last week. Glass-half-full, this seems to indicate that he's healthy enough to travel.
But beyond that small crumb of positivity, Porzingis remains out indefinitely. And what's currently playing out is the downside of the risk they took trading for him. But the Warriors understood this was a possibility when they made the deal; Kerr and GM Mike Dunleavy signalled confidence they could keep him healthy when asked specifically about his health concerns.
“I don't think we would've made the trade if we didn't think he could be healthy and consistent in terms of being in the lineup,” Kerr said post-deadline.
But while the trade has gone awry thus far, the Warriors don't think their process was wrong. In an interview with Warriors insider Tim Kawakami, Dunleavy did not express regret in their information-gathering process regarding Porzingis's health. Dunleavy told Kawakami he feels “good” about the information they had and their evaluation of the medicals.
Regardless, the Warriors will be without Porzingis for the foreseeable future as they try to tread water in the West.
Other notables
- Moses Moody will be out versus Houston with a sprained right wrist, which he suffered in the Clippers' loss. Another significant injury to an already injured team. Over the last six weeks, Moody's averaged 15.4 points on 42.1% from three. He's been one of their most consistent players, especially with Curry and Jimmy Butler out. Doesn't seem like a major injury, but they are bound to feel his absence.
- Will Richard remains out with a right ankle sprain. He's walking around in a boot right now, but Kerr described his condition as day-to-day. Richard has averaged 7.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 54 games this season. The rookie has been a nice find in the second round, with Kerr trusting him in his rotation.
- Expect two-way players Nate Williams and Malevy Leons to get some run on this road trip with all the injuries. The Warriors have found production from those slots in the past, thanks to the scouting and development of their Santa Cruz G-League affiliate. Gui Santos, Pat Spencer, and Ty Jerome are some of the notable names to come out of there. And just the other night, Williams scored 18 points in 22 minutes against the Clippers.
