When an offseason report broke that the Spurs were interested in Kristaps Porzingis, there was a lot of excitement in the fan base. It's easy to fall in love with the idea of the Unicorn and the Alien pairing up to wreak havoc on the league. He ended up going to Atlanta instead, and so far, they haven't gotten a great return on their investment, as he's on track to miss his seventh game of the year.
San Antonio ended up opting for Luke Kornet, and while the 7'2" backup center has missed a few games of his own, his recent injury history hasn't forced him into street clothes anywhere close to the same rate.
Kristaps Porzingis averaged 20 points, 7 rebounds, two assists, and 2 blocks over 42 games last season. He's a very high-end role player. His issues are with staying on a floor, a rather large one. In his last five seasons, he's played 42, 57, 65, 51, and 43 games. https://t.co/r8MIsCIkQy
— Jah (@JahlilWill) June 24, 2025
Luke played 69, 63, and 73 games in his last three seasons. He's also a much cheaper option and a much stronger post defender. The 250 lb Vandy alum gives the Silver and Black more of what they need out of that role: defense, rebounding, and connecting on offense. When these teams match up tonight, it'll all be on full display.
The Spurs' winning-streak should continue under these circumstances
San Antonio can't even claim to have the worst injury issues in the league. It's happening to everyone, and the Hawks are not exempt. Porzingis isn't the only one in danger of missing this game; Zaccharie Rischacher is also questionable, and Trae Young has been ruled out.
ATL started this season slowly, but they've regained their stride lately. It'll be up to the Silver and Black to break it. It would have been much more difficult to do with the slew of guys out for the Spurs, but since the opposition is struggling with their own medical chart, the teams will be on pretty even ground. It's exactly how I felt going into the game against Memphis with Ja Morant and others out for them.
The difference is in the organizational structure that our guys have the benefit of being backed by, compared to the Hawks. I wouldn't say that they're as bad as the Hornets or Pelicans, but they're not at the top of the food chain either. That matters.
The games will likely be close. They still have talented guys on their roster, and it would be our new norm. Last year, the Spurs played this team twice. One game went into overtime, and the other was decided by one point. San Antonio won both contests, but it was far from easy. Expect that to be the case again.