Warriors Prepare for Porzingis Debut Amidst Curry’s Continued Absence
SAN FRANCISCO — The Golden State Warriors will be without star guard Stephen Curry when they exit the All-Star break on Thursday night against the Boston Celtics, and the length of his ongoing absence remains uncertain. Curry has been sidelined since January 30 with a persistent right knee injury.
In more positive news for the Warriors, high-profile addition Kristaps Porzingis is expected to make his team debut against the Celtics. Porzingis, acquired from Atlanta in exchange for Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield, is officially listed as questionable but told reporters he was “ready to go.” He has been limited to 17 games this season due to illness and Achilles tendinitis.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr had expressed optimism that the swelling and pain in Curry’s right knee would subside, potentially clearing him for Thursday night’s game. However, Curry returned to the team facility on Wednesday night and informed the training staff that his knee didn’t feel prepared for a live scrimmage.
“Just wasn’t where he needed to be,” Kerr said. “It’s unfortunate. We’ll have an update tomorrow after he goes through his time with the training staff.”
Kerr indicated that Curry may undergo another MRI after consulting with Rick Celebrini, the team’s lead medical decision-maker. Celebrini is currently in Milan, Italy, attending his son Macklin’s participation in Olympic hockey.
Curry missed the final five games before the All-Star break due to the ongoing knee issues. He acknowledged on February 5 that his knee was “trending in the right direction,” but emphasized the need for caution.
“You have to try to get rid of all the inflammation and pain,” Curry said. “It’s something we still have to monitor and injury-manage, but it’s something where, if I come back too early, it could flare up.”
Porzingis’ arrival from Atlanta came at the trade deadline. Kerr plans to utilize Porzingis in short bursts and limited minutes initially. He is anticipated to come off the bench alongside Al Horford, his former teammate in Boston, creating a somewhat unusual dynamic.
“Weird,” Porzingis said of facing his former team. “Who would believe this? But this is how it works. Obviously we expected Boston to have some changes with the money stuff, but it’s going to be weird.”
Kerr has signaled a plan to feature Porzingis prominently on the offensive end, with the team spending the past two days working on spacing strategies around his post-up game. Porzingis expressed his appreciation for the simplicity of the Warriors’ offense and his enjoyment playing alongside Draymond Green in Wednesday’s scrimmage.
“I love Draymond, man,” Porzingis said. “I can see how important he is to this group.”
The Warriors currently hold a record of 29-26 and are eighth in the Western Conference standings. The team will be looking to Porzingis to provide a boost as they navigate the final stretch of the regular season.
