Curry remains unavailable for the Warriors; Porzingis set to make his debut against the Celtics.
SAN FRANCISCO – The Golden State Warriors will be missing star guard Stephen Curry as they resume play after the All-Star break on Thursday night against the Boston Celtics, and the duration of his current absence remains uncertain.
On a more positive note for the Warriors, notable acquisition Kristaps Porzingis is anticipated to make his debut with the team against the Celtics. Porzingis is officially designated as questionable, but he informed reporters that he is “ready to go.”
Before the break, Warriors coach Steve Kerr conveyed hope that the swelling and discomfort in Curry’s right knee would subside, potentially allowing him to receive clearance for Thursday’s game. However, Curry returned to the facility on Wednesday night and informed the training staff that his “runner’s knee” did not feel sufficiently prepared for a live scrimmage.
“Just wasn’t where he needed to be,” Kerr stated. “It’s unfortunate. We’ll have an update tomorrow after he goes through his time with the training staff.”
Kerr mentioned that it is possible Curry will undergo another MRI following a consultation with Rick Celebrini, the team’s head medical decision maker. Celebrini is currently in Milan observing his son Macklin compete for Team Canada in Olympic hockey.
Curry has been sidelined for the last five games leading up to the All-Star break due to ongoing pain and swelling that necessitated his shutdown.
“We’ve got to be certain,” Kerr remarked. “He’s got to be certain…It is a little nebulous, but that’s the nature of the injury.”
Curry told ESPN on February 5 that his right knee was “trending in the right direction,” but he would remain cautious before making a return.
“You have to try to eliminate all the inflammation and pain,” Curry stated. “It’s something we still have to monitor and manage, but if I come back too soon, it could flare up.”
Porzingis joined the team from Atlanta at the trade deadline in a transaction that involved sending Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield to the Hawks. He has played only 17 games this season due to illness and Achilles tendinitis, but he trained with the Warriors’ staff during the break and participated in a scrimmage with the team on Wednesday night.
Kerr indicated that the plan is to utilize Porzingis in short bursts and with limited minutes early in his time with the team. It is expected that he will come off the bench against the Celtics, his former team, alongside Al Horford, his new teammate who was also a former teammate in Boston.
“Weird,” Porzingis commented regarding facing the Celtics. “Who would believe this? But this is how it works. Obviously, we expected Boston to have some changes with the financial aspects, but it’s going to be weird.”
Kerr has outlined a strategy to emphasize Porzingis on the offensive side. The team has spent the last two days focusing on how to effectively space around Porzingis’ post-ups. Porzingis expressed that he “loves” the simplicity of the offense and appreciated playing alongside Draymond Green during Wednesday’s scrimmage.
“I love Draymond, man,” Porzingis said. “I can see how important he is to this group.”
The Warriors hold a record of 29-26 and are currently positioned eighth in the Western Conference standings.
