The Warriors still don’t have a clear answer on Kristaps Porzingis, and that uncertainty is stretching toward the regular season. Steve Kerr said Thursday he has no new information on Porzingis’ health issue and no timetable for a return.
“He’s not here today,” Kerr said following the team’s practice. “We’ve obviously been busy in Hawaii and Portland. … So, I’ll reach out to KP today and check in with him, but nothing new to report.”
Nick Friedell of The Athletic reported that Porzingis has dealt with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or POTS, over the past two seasons, but there has been no confirmation that the issue keeping him out now is tied to that diagnosis. Since acquiring Porzingis from Atlanta at last season’s trade deadline, Warriors officials have declined to address his condition in specific terms.
Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints reported that the Warriors are “bracing” for Porzingis to miss the start of the regular season.
While Porzingis remains a question mark, Brandon Williams made the most of his opportunity in Wednesday’s preseason game against Portland. With nearly all of Golden State’s starters and rotation players sitting out, the guard - who is on a non-guaranteed contract and competing for a roster spot - scored 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting in 18 minutes. He also added four assists and three rebounds.
Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area wrote that the fifth-year guard is flashing the kind of microwave scoring the Warriors can use off the bench, and he’s building a case not only for a roster spot but possibly a role in the rotation.
There’s also growing buzz around rookie forward Yaxel Lendeborg, who Anthony Slater examined in an ESPN.com story about how he has become part of Golden State’s future. Kerr said the early returns have been strong.
“He’s going to play a ton,” Kerr said of Lendeborg. “Frankly, he deserves it. He’s one of our best players already.”
The Warriors, though, are trying to keep the expectations in check for a rookie who has already turned heads. Stephen Curry addressed the pressure that can come with hype and social media attention.
“The nature of our league, social media and all the microscope is that they’ll expect him to be a 20-8-6 guy right out the gate or whatever number you put on him,” Curry said. “But his job is to block all that out.
He will know if he’s impactful. He will know if he’s helping win games.
The stats and the numbers will follow. It’s our job to protect him in that.”
And in another sign of how much the franchise has grown, the Warriors are once again No. 1 on Sportico’s annual list of the NBA’s most valuable teams, with an estimated value of $14.5 billion.
In Other News...
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The details matter here because the Warriors did more than simply reward Podziemski. The structure of the deal was built to preserve some financial room as they keep sorting through future roster plans, leaving the door open for bigger moves rather than shutting it. That balance, between keeping a homegrown guard and maintaining flexibility, may end up being the most important part of the story. [Read more 🡒]
Ben Simmons Gets An Early Shot To Haunt The Warriors
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For Golden State, the matchup adds another layer to a game already being watched closely because Simmons has not appeared in an NBA game since the 2024-25 season. There is intrigue both in how the Kings plan to use him positionally and in how the Warriors will look back on their decision to pass, especially with a player of Simmons' profile now returning to action in a uniform that is not theirs. [Read more 🡒]
Stephen Curry Just Put Pressure On The Warriors Front Office
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Currys comments about the state of the roster landed with extra weight because he is no longer speaking like a star simply enjoying the ride. By signing on again, he effectively doubled down on Golden States direction, but his remarks also underscored the pressure on the front office to keep pace with the realities of an aging core and a thin margin for error. However the season starts, the Warriors are carrying more than familiar championship expectations now, and Curry made sure that point is hard to miss. [Read more 🡒]