SAN FRANCISCO — Kristaps Porzingis will make his Warriors debut for their 10 p.m. Thursday game against the Celtics at Chase Center. Porzingis was questionable ahead of the game due to his Achilles issue, but he was upgraded to available on the Warriors injury report.
Golden State coach Steve Kerr said pregame Porzingis will likely be on a minutes restriction and will come off the bench. There’s a chance he could play alongside former C’s big man Al Horford in some minutes.
“It’s interesting circumstance,” Porzingis said. “But I’m excited about the first game and to play against my old team. They’re going to have the perfect scouting report for me, so let’s see how that goes.”
The Warriors will be without Stephen Curry for the foreseeable future due to his recent knee issue. The All-Star missed the final two games ahead of the All-Star break and will reportedly be re-evaluated in 10 days with his injury.
Porzingis was acquired by the Warriors at the trade deadline from the Hawks. It was a quick tenure for Porzingis in Atlanta with the Hawks enduring a disappointing season. But now the Warriors are hoping the big man can stay on the court and contribute for them ahead of a potential playoff push.
Porzingis has played in just 17 games this season between illness and injury issues. When he is available to play, the big man continues to impress with his size and shooting. But it’s just the staying on the court part that’s been a struggle, much like it has been throughout his career.