OAKLAND — In a major development that could reshape the Golden State Warriors’ playoff push, head coach Steve Kerr delivered the latest injury updates on Stephen Curry and Kristaps Porzingis Tuesday night.
Kerr told reporters that Kristaps Porzingis participated in team practice and “looked good” as he works his way back from a nagging Achilles tendinitis injury that has sidelined him since January 7. The big man has appeared in just 17 games all season. Kerr said he will not make a final call on Porzingis’ availability for Thursday’s marquee matchup against the Boston Celtics until after Wednesday’s full practice.
At the same time, the Warriors gave their veterans an extra day of rest, meaning Stephen Curry sat out Tuesday’s session. Curry has missed the team’s last five games with runner’s knee. Kerr expressed optimism that the two-time MVP will return to the practice floor Wednesday and is hopeful he’ll be cleared to play Thursday night.
The timing could not be more critical for Golden State.
The Warriors are just 6-10 without Curry this season, and with Jimmy Butler now lost for the year to a torn ACL, winning even a third of their remaining games without their superstar point guard would be a tall order. Curry alone can keep the ship afloat, but to become a true playoff danger, Golden State needs both Curry and Porzingis healthy and clicking.
Porzingis has been nothing short of sensational when on the floor. He is averaging an eye-popping 25.4 points per 36 minutes — 0.1 more than Kevin Durant — and 17.1 points per game overall. Only Curry (27.2 PPG) and Butler (20.0 PPG) have scored at a higher clip for the Warriors; no other player on the roster cracks 12.0 points per game.
His defensive impact is equally massive. According to Cleaning the Glass, Porzingis’ teams have been better defensively with him on the court in all but one of his 10 NBA seasons.
That two-way presence is exactly what the Warriors need right now. Currently sitting in eighth place in the Western Conference with a 29-26 record, Golden State trails the fifth-place Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves by 4.5 games and sits three games behind the seventh-place Phoenix Suns.
If Porzingis can return and Curry stays on the floor, the Warriors suddenly look like a dangerous postseason threat once again. The Bay Area is holding its breath.