The Warriors’ offseason buzz has already cooled, and now the team is dealing with a more immediate problem: Kristaps Porzingis is still away from the group as training camp opens with a health issue.
Steve Kerr tried to keep the update grounded, but the message was clear that Golden State is waiting on its veteran big man. “Honestly, I just look at it as day to day. And we're supporting him in every way that we can, with our performance staff, our training staff, doctors, and hopefully things can improve quickly and we'll get him back,” Kerr said.
That absence matters because Porzingis was supposed to give the Warriors something they badly need - size and shooting from the center spot. He arrived on a two-year, $40 million contract with a player option for the second season, as reported by ESPN’s Anthony Slater, after the team brought him back ahead of the open market.
His status now leaves Golden State thinner than it already looked on paper. Jimmy Butler is expected to miss at least half of the season, which makes Porzingis even more important if the Warriors want a workable rotation early on.
At the start of camp, Slater reported that Porzingis was “out indefinitely to open training camp with a health issue, per Warriors. Another immediate blow to their depth,” and that remains the reality for Golden State right now.
If Porzingis isn’t ready for the season opener, Al Horford would likely step in as the starter. That would open the door for other Warriors to take on more responsibility, but it also underscores the main issue: this is a significant loss for a team that can’t afford many of them.
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Steve Kerr has already made one lineup choice clear for the new season, and it speaks to how the Warriors want to open this next chapter. Green and Curry will be on the floor together when the season begins, preserving the veteran backbone that has defined Golden State for years while leaving the bigger questions about how the rotation evolves around them for later. [Read more 🡒]