Kristaps Porzingis #8 of the Golden State Warriors
Getty
Kristaps Porzingis #8 of the Golden State Warriors
The Saturday night matchup between the Golden State Warriors and the Minnesota Timberwolves in California certainly didn’t go the way the home team had hoped.
Steve Kerr’s team has already been dealing with key injuries across the roster, and they lost a few more players to setbacks during the loss against the Timberwolves.
One of the very few positive developments for the Warriors has been the return of the veteran center, Kristaps Porzingis.
For the first time since getting traded to the Warriors, Porzingis managed to play two games in a row. Injuries and an illness have affected Porzingis throughout the year, and the Warriors haven’t had a chance to utilize their big trade piece much since the deal went down.
Steve Kerr Makes Clear Kristaps Porzingis Analysis
GettySAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 10: Kristaps Porzingis #7 of the Golden State Warriors shoots over Nick Richards #13 of the Chicago Bulls during the first half at Chase Center on March 10, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
For his fourth outing with the Warriors, Porzingis was inserted into the starting lineup. That decision was made due to the fact that the Warriors scratched the veteran forward Draymond Green roughly 30 minutes before the game tipped off.
“As soon as Draymond went out, Kristaps went in,” head coach Steve Kerr explained.
Based on what he saw, Kerr analyzed the fourth showing from Porzingis, who has a lot of pressure to meet high expectations in the Golden State.
“I thought he looked great. He’s clearly starting to find a rhythm. He’s such an intriguing player, the way he shoots it, the space, the rim protection defensively. Obviously, we really want to get him out there with Steph and see what that looks like. Kristaps seems to be getting more and more comfortable,” Kerr told reporters.
In 22 minutes, Porzingis shot 7-16 from the field and knocked down 2-5 shots from three to score 20 points. Beyond his scoring, Porzingis came down with four rebounds, dished out two assists, and blocked one shot. He was a minus-8 on the court for the 127-117 loss against Minnesota.
“[His stamina] looked better tonight. We’re still trying to keep him around 20 minutes, but I thought he looked better tonight physically than the other night,” Kerr added.
“Hopefully, that’ll continue to build. Movement and his comfort level—he’s more familiar with what we’re trying to do at both ends—getting comfortable with the terminology.”
Porzingis Has A Lot To Prove
GettySAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 10: Kristaps Porzingis #7 of the Golden State Warriors is guarded by Leonard Miller #11 of the Chicago Bulls during the first half at Chase Center on March 10, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
After a successful run with the Boston Celtics, Porzingis was traded to the Atlanta Hawks during the 2025 offseason.
He saw the court for 17 games during his stint in Atlanta, averaging 24.3 minutes of action. Porzingis was productive, posting averages of 17.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.7 assists. Health and availability were a concern for the big man in Atlanta.
The Warriors swapped out the Jonathan Kuminga saga for another one on a different scale with Porzingis. On paper, the trade made plenty of sense. Porzingis should be an ideal fit alongside Steph Curry. Both players have struggled to get on the floor, though.
After Friday’s game, Porzingis played in his fourth outing. He is producing averages of 14.5 points, 2.5 assists, and 3.5 rebounds with the Warriors so far.
It’s unclear when the team will see the Porzingis-Curry duo get to work. The star guard is recovering from a knee injury, without a hard target date for his return. Porzingis is playing, but he’s in and out of the lineup with restrictions attached.