There are still far more questions than answers surrounding Kristaps Porziņģis’ health and wellness. But, more than two weeks after Golden State Warriors kicked off training camp, we finally have a critical positive update: Porziņģis is in the house.
Recently inked to a two-year, $40 million extension, Porziņģis — whom the Dubs acquired from the Atlanta Hawks in February — did not join Golden State on their opening-week jaunt to Hawaii, with the team announcing at the eleventh hour that the All-Star
was out indefinitely. There were no updates when the team returned home from the island either and that certainly led to rumors swirling. No one seems aware as to whether Porziņģis has an injury or an ailment or, if some of the more eyebrow-raising rumors are to be given any credence, something that the team is covering up.
On Monday we got the closest thing possible to an update, with coach Steve Kerr saying he expected Porziņģis to be at the facility on Tuesday. Kerr risked setting himself up for a disastrous own goal if Porziņģis were not present on Tuesday, but thankfully that didn’t happen. Per multiple reports, the 31-year old from Latvia arrived at the Chase Center (the Warriors’ facilities are at their home arena) on Tuesday, where he spent time with head athletic trainer Rick Celebrini and general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. While that’s a critical first step, there’s still no word on when Porziņģis might be back on the floor.
It’s a little funny — and hopefully nothing more than that — that Porziņģis appeared at the arena when the team, conveniently, was not there. The Dubs are currently in Sin City, as they have a Tuesday night game against the Los Angeles Lakers at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, which may end up being the home of the next expansion NBA team.
While it’s certainly encouraging that we have a Porziņģis update — however mild and vague — it remains odd, concerning, and fairly unprecedented that this is, it seems, his first time back with the team. Usually players, whether sick or injured, spend a large amount of time at the facilities, working with the trainers and coaches. That Porziņģis has been, for lack of a better word, missing, raises a few eyebrows.
Then again, it’s also clear that the Warriors are being a little secretive here, and who knows how much communication is going on between the team and the player that we’re simply not privy to.
Either way, Porziņģis is back … sort of. And while we don’t know a timeline, it certainly seems fair to assume he won’t be playing when the Dubs open the season in eight days.
