The Golden State Warriors are set to finally have Kristaps Porzingis on the court for his debut against the Boston Celtics following the All-Star break. However, the team will still be without star guard Steph Curry, who continues to nurse a knee injury.
While he has been around the NBA for 10 seasons, this game is one where he will be under immense pressure, and Porzingis is in a spot where he needs to excel.
Key Points
Kristaps Porzingis is expected to make his Golden State Warriors debut against the Boston Celtics.
Steph Curry will miss his sixth consecutive game due to a sore right knee.
Porzingis was acquired from the Atlanta Hawks and has been sidelined since January 7.
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Kristaps Porzingis’ Golden State Warriors Debut Will Come With Immense Pressure
Kristaps Porzingis is set to finally make his first appearance playing for the Warriors on February 19 as they return from the NBA All-Star break to face the Boston Celtics. Porzingis was traded to Golden State from the Atlanta Hawks at the NBA trade deadline back on February 4.
He has not seen game action since January 7, as he had been sidelined with Achilles tendinitis and other issues. For the Warriors, getting Porzingis back now couldn’t have happened at a better time.
Steph Curry is set to miss the game as he continues to recover from “runner’s knee” (patellofemoral pain syndrome). Despite participating in some All-Star weekend festivities, Curry has not played since January 30. The length of Curry’s absence remains uncertain, with the team emphasizing caution to prevent further flare-ups.
With Curry out, and Jimmy Butler done for the season, it will be on Porzingis to step up in this game to help the Warriors start the second half of the season strong.
Steve Kerr revealed that the Warriors are adapting their offensive strategy to leverage Porzingis’ strengths, particularly his post-up game. The team has been practicing spacing around Porzingis’ isolations, aiming to replicate some of the offensive success the Boston Celtics found with him.
This game already had the potential storyline of Kristaps Porzingis facing his former team, and needing to outperform them. But with Curry out, the pressure falls fully back on Porzingis to shine in his debut if he wants to prove Golden State made the right decision in trading for him.
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