SAN FRANCISCO– The Golden State Warriors got a mixed bag of injury updates ahead of their first game back from the All-Star break against the Boston Celtics.
Stephen Curry will miss his sixth straight game with patellofemoral pain syndrome, otherwise known as runner's knee. The Warriors had hoped the All-Star break would have given Curry enough time to recover from the lingering inflammation inherent to this type of injury. But it appears Curry will need more time to recover, as he was unable to participate in the team's scrimmage today.
“[Curry] is going to be evaluated tonight by our training staff,” Kerr said. “But just wasn't where he needed to be and to go through the scrimmage. And so it's unfortunate, but we'll have an update tomorrow after he goes through his time with the training staff tonight.”
On the brighter side of things, the Warriors upgraded Kristaps Porzingis to questionable for their matchup with the Celtics. After a strong week of rehab and ramping up his workload, Porzingis was able to fully scrimmage with the team today, one of the final barriers they set for him before they decide to clear him to play. After practice, Porzingis told reporters he's feeling good ahead of his potential return.
“Feeling excellent,” Porzingis said about his first official scrimmage with the Warriors. “I feel good on court. I did a bunch of work before the All-Star break and the couple of days off, but I stayed active. Wanted to not take some time off, because I barely played this season. I want to get out there, and I'm feeling good and start building on top of this and finish the year really strong.”
Porzingis raved about playing on Draymond Green's team, a pairing he and the Warriors are very excited for. Porzingis said he “loves” working with Green and understands now why he's been so important for Golden State.
However, it's a pairing that may have to wait. Kerr did not confirm whether or not Porzingis will actually be available for the Celtics game. But all signs seem encouraging, especially after Porzingis gave a cheeky answer when asked if he intends to make his Warriors debut tomorrow.
“I don't know how much I can say,” Porzingis said with a smile as he looked at the Warriors' PR team to catch a hint of what he could say. “But feeling good and ready to go.”
The Warriors plan for Kristaps Porzingis when he returns
With Porzingis, Kerr doesn't have a precise vision for his minutes restriction, but estimated around the 15-minute range. As a result, Kerr expects to play him in short bursts as he continues to work himself back from injury. Porzingis shared that while that kind of short burst minutes plan wasn't initially how he liked to be rotated in, he's come to adjust to that minutes style.
“I used to hate playing short spurts,” Porzingis said. “Especially coming back from something because you're out there for a little period of time, it's almost hard to get in rhythm. You don't want to go in and chuck the first shot. But sometimes I do now. So I'm coming in, you know, just have my opportunities. Have to take them and find the rhythm that way.”
With Porzingis, the Warriors are particularly excited for what he'll bring to their offense. With Butler out for the season, and Curry sidelined with an injury they've described as day-to-day for the past several weeks, they'll be looking to Porzingis to give them a new dimension on that end.
“His ability to score the ball offensively, I feel like he's really going to be able to help us,” his old Celtics teammate, now Warriors teammate, Al Horford said. Though familiar with each other's game, Porzingis's role in Boston was more defensive enforcer instead of an offensive initiator. With the Warriors, they'll be asking for more of the latter.
“He'll probably have more opportunities on the offensive end, especially obviously with us missing Jimmy and everything, I think that there's a great opportunity for him to step in and have a bigger role offensively.”
Regardless, Porzingis is taking his return slowly as he looks to become the Dubs' X-factor down the stretch post All-Star break.
“Again, not to put any crazy expectations on myself. Just one day at a time. Build up from the low minutes I'm gonna have. Build up slowly, and I'll be fine.”
