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Kristaps Porzingis now of the Golden State Warriors.
The Golden State Warriors believed they had finally turned a corner with Kristaps Porziņģis.
Instead, less than 24 hours after head coach Steve Kerr publicly outlined plans to increase Porziņģis’ minutes, the former All-Star center was unexpectedly ruled out with illness, abruptly halting Golden State’s carefully plotted ramp-up plan.
Porziņģis Scratched Hours After Warriors Coach’s Announcement
Porziņģis appeared on the NBA’s official injury report Sunday morning — listed as out due to illness — just hours before the Warriors were set to host the Denver Nuggets and three-time MVP Nikola Jokić.
Kerr confirmed the sudden development after shootaround, revealing the news came via text message.
“I haven’t talked to him, but I just got a text this morning that he was sick and at the hotel,” Kerr told reporters. “He’s not even going to come over here.”
The illness effectively torpedoed Golden State’s immediate plan to expand Porziņģis’ role as the Warriors continue to navigate life without Stephen Curry, who remains sidelined with patellofemoral pain syndrome — commonly known as runner’s knee.
Warriors’ Plan That Vanished Overnight
The timing could not have been worse.
Just a day earlier, Kerr had struck an optimistic tone after Porziņģis’ debut, confirming the training staff had cleared him to handle a slightly larger workload beginning Sunday.
“We’ll bump it up a little bit,” Kerr said Saturday. “Talking to the training staff this morning, we’ll be able to bump it up — but not too much.”
Porziņģis was still expected to come off the bench, but the increase represented a meaningful step in his integration — and a sign that Golden State was ready to rely on him more heavily amid Curry’s absence.
Instead, the Warriors were left shorthanded against Denver, with Porziņģis’ availability for an upcoming road back-to-back in New Orleans and Memphis now uncertain.
“I have no idea,” Kerr said when asked about Porziņģis’ status beyond Sunday. “We haven’t seen him yet, and I haven’t talked to the medical people yet.”
Encouraging Debut Made the Setback Sting
The illness stung precisely because Porziņģis’ debut had been one of the few recent positives for Golden State.
Making his Warriors debut Thursday in a 121–110 loss to the Boston Celtics, Porziņģis flashed the two-way skill set that made him such an appealing trade acquisition.
In 17 minutes, he scored 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting, including 2-of-5 from three-point range, and added two blocks.
“Even tonight, I would’ve liked to go longer,” Porziņģis said after that game. “Even if I’m exhausted out there, I still want to push myself. But I know I have to take it step by step.”
Golden State was prepared to honor that request.
Porziņģis had missed 13 consecutive games before the trade and three more afterward while dealing with Achilles tendinitis — an injury the Warriors have treated with extreme caution.
“I want to get in perfect shape where I can go and not be a half-step late,” Porziņģis said. “Be quick on my feet. The rhythm will come.”
Signs of Progress Beneath the Rust
The rust showed in subtle ways.
Porziņģis recorded one assist, committed two turnovers, and grabbed just one rebound, with both blocks coming as a help defender rather than from asserting himself in the paint.
Still, the trajectory was encouraging.
He finished minus-19 in seven first-half minutes, then flipped the script after halftime, posting a plus-15 in 10 second-half minutes as his timing and comfort level improved.
“First game with a new team is always tricky,” said Kerr. “But from the first half to the second half, he just looked more comfortable and settled in.”
Porziņģis echoed that sentiment.
“As the game went on, it got better and better,” he said. “This is the first step to keep building.”
Another Setback in a Delicate Balancing Act
Golden State’s decision to expand Porziņģis’ role reflected both confidence in his health and necessity amid Curry’s continued absence. The Warriors need frontcourt scoring, spacing and rim protection — and Porziņģis provides all three when available.
For now, availability is the issue.
With Curry still out and Porziņģis suddenly sidelined by illness, the Warriors’ margin for error continues to shrink. Kerr’s minutes plan remains intact — but on pause — as Golden State waits to see when its newest frontcourt centerpiece can return.
What was supposed to be the next step forward instead became another reminder of how fragile the Warriors’ rotation remains.
Alder Almo is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com. He has more than 20 years of experience in local and international media, including broadcast, print and digital. He previously covered the Knicks for Empire Sports Media and the NBA for Off the Glass. Alder is from the Philippines and is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey. More about Alder Almo
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