The Warriors saw flashes of what new addition Kristaps Porziņģis can bring — but also saw how far they still have to go.
Porziņģis made his Golden State debut in Thursday’s 121-110 loss to the Boston Celtics, finishing with 12 points in 17 minutes. While he showed flashes, he also displayed some rust after missing the last 43 days due to injury management and illness.
That reality is shaping how Steve Kerr plans to use him moving forward.
In an interview with 95.7 The Game’s “Willard & Dibs,” Kerr explained the expectation is for Porziņģis’ minutes to increase, but emphasized the process will remain gradual.
“Hopefully the minutes go up, but it’s all really kind of day to day,” Kerr said. “Our training staff will determine that. It was a good starting point last night — he felt good after the game, we had a good practice today and Kristaps took part in everything.”
Porziņģis’ debut reflected both promise and limitations. He appeared more comfortable as the game went on, but Golden State quickly fell behind during his first stint as Boston seized control with a decisive second-quarter run.
It’s a reminder of the broader challenge facing the Warriors.
With Steph Curry sidelined through at least the rest of February and Jimmy Butler out for the season, Golden State is navigating an uncertain stretch with the team looking to win now but also position itself for the NBA playoffs. Porziņģis is central to both.
“It’s something we’ll monitor day to day,” Kerr added. “The hope is and the plan is for the minutes to go up — we just can’t map it out exactly.”
That cautious approach likely will extend to scheduling decisions as well. When asked about back-to-backs, Kerr suggested Porziņģis playing both games isn’t expected in the near term.
“My guess is … it’s highly unlikely that Kristaps would play in that back-to-back next week,” Kerr said.
As for Porziņģis’ calf and ongoing Achilles maintenance, Kerr deferred to the team’s medical staff.
“I’ve got other stuff I’ve gotta worry about,” Kerr noted. “He’s in the training room every day … I just know that he’s doing well, he looks good, he’s doing fine.”
For now, the Warriors are balancing two timelines — trying to stay competitive in the standings while carefully building up a player who could help their future.
And after one game, that balancing act already is clear.
Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast