SAN FRANCISCO – Kristaps Porzingis' health situation grows murkier by the day for the Golden State Warriors.
Ahead of the Warriors' primetime matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers, Steve Kerr had to walk back comments he made about Porzingis' POTS diagnosis the previous day in a radio interview with 95.7 The Game.
“It was a stupid mistake by me to talk about something that I'm not qualified to talk about,” Kerr said. “So I regret even trying to discuss the diagnosis. That was my mistake, and I need to leave that to the professionals.”
Kerr had told radio hosts Mark Willard and Dan Dibley that Porzingis's POTS diagnosis was incorrect, describing it as “misinformation” and that the illness that kept him out of games for the Atlanta Hawks was something else entirely.
“When I heard about the trade, I read about the POTS diagnosis, and I called [Hawks GM] Onsi [Saleh] … and said, ‘Is this POTS story real?’” Kerr recounted on the radio.
“And he said, ‘It’s actually not POTS.’ That was some misinformation that was out there. I don’t know if anybody’s asked him about it. Bottom line is, whatever was bothering him in Atlanta that was keeping him out had nothing to do with the illness (this) week. He was just sick. … He was sick enough where he was losing a lot of fluid and contagious, so we just kept him home, and he’s doing a lot better now.”
It was a strange gaffe for a coach who is usually very media savvy, as Porzingis' POTS diagnosis was something he himself shared with The Athletic last season. And it's been widely reported that this specific health issue is what's cost him so many games the last two seasons.
Where does that leave Kristaps Porzingis and the Warriors?
Kerr's walkback comes as Porzingis remains sidelined for his fourth straight game due to the nebulous illness currently plaguing him. Details about Porzingis's symptoms and the kind of illness he's been dealing with have been sparse.
What is known about Porzingis's health status is that he practiced on Friday for the first time since falling ill. There was hope that he could be available for this Lakers game, as the team classified him as questionable heading into the game. But ultimately, the team ruled him out, opting for a conservative approach to his health and recovery.
In the same presser, Kerr said he could not give specifics on Porzingis's condition.
“I can't really say anything,” Kerr said. “Just a medical issue way beyond my capabilities of explaining anything. So, yeah, he's sick. He won't play, and we'll keep monitoring.”
All in all, it makes for a muddied situation.
Porzingis's health concerns were something the Warriors were aware of when they traded for him. Kerr and general manager Mike Dunleavy both expressed their confidence in managing his health. But with this recent walkback and the team's unwillingness to share more specific details of Porzingis's status, it muddies when we can expect him to return to action. Especially because he's their big trade deadline acquisition.
As of right now, the boost they were searching for – and confident in getting – in exchange for Jonathan Kuminga has amounted to very little. Regardless, the Warriors will continue to monitor Porzingis and his health.
