The Golden State Warriors were once again without Kristaps Porzingis for their 114-101 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers at Chase Center on Monday. This was the fifth straight game that Porzingis missed with an illness, and head coach Steve Kerr was asked pregame if he had any clarity on what the Latvian is dealing with.
“Not really,” Kerr said. “It’s a little mysterious. We’re obviously working with him and hoping that he can get some clarity. And he can kinda break through and get to a point where he’s consistently healthy, but that’s something that the medical staff is working hard on with him. I’m not going to even posit any medical theories anymore.”
Kerr is no longer going to open his mouth on subjects he doesn’t know enough about. The 60-year-old has learned his lesson after making a mistake previously.
During a recent appearance on the Willard & Dibs Show, Kerr stated that Atlanta Hawks GM Onsi Saleh told him Porzingis does not actually have postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). He added that it was all misinformation.
Kerr walked back those comments soon after. In his press conference before Saturday’s 129-101 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, he admitted he made a mistake.
“It was a stupid mistake by me to talk about something that I’m not qualified to talk about, so I regret it,” Kerr said. “Even trying to discuss the diagnosis, that was my mistake, and I need to leave that to the professionals.”
That would be for the best. There just seems to be way too much uncertainty here.
It’s a pity that Porzingis has missed so much time in recent years due to a combination of injuries and illnesses. The one-time All-Star would probably be more frustrated than anyone else at constantly having to be on the sidelines.
Porzingis played just 42 games for the Boston Celtics in 2024-25 and was then traded to the Hawks in June 2025. He was viewed as a great addition, but barely played.
By the time the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline came around, Porzingis had played just 17 games for the Hawks. The Warriors still decided to acquire him at the deadline by sending Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield to Atlanta.
Porzingis has managed to play in just one game for the Warriors so far. The 30-year-old put up 12 points (5-9 FG), one rebound, one assist, and one block in the 121-110 loss to the Celtics on Feb. 19.
While Porzingis has barely played, Kuminga is shining for the Hawks. Their announcers and fans even trolled the Warriors for gifting them the young forward. It sure is looking like a lopsided trade right now.
Following this loss to the Clippers, the Warriors go on a three-game road trip. Kerr stated he does not know whether Porzingis is going to join the team for it. You start to wonder just how big a role he’ll be able to play between now and the end of the season.
The Warriors dropped to 31-30 with the loss to the Clippers, and they will take on the Houston Rockets next at Toyota Center on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
