Stephen Curry was realistic in a recent interview talking about the Warriors this season: “We have a veteran team. We need health on our side.”
This is not a good way to start. Kristaps Porzingis, the ‘Warriors’ veteran center, is out indefinitely with what is being described as a “health issue” and will not accompany the team to Hawaii for training camp, the Warriors announced Monday.
Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy said Porzingis had been working out with the team without issue and the organization was only informed of the health issue Sunday.
“Hopefully he’ll be back soon...” Dunleavy said at Warriors media day, via Danny Emerman of the San Francisco Standard. Dunleavy added, via ESPN’s Anthony Slater: “I’m not marking him down as being out to start the season or anything like that. He’s just not available this week.”
While the Warriors provided no details of Porzingis’ health concerns, he has been dealing with POTS — Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome — for a couple of seasons now. It’s a condition where your heart rate races for a minute or more after standing up from sitting or lying down (as part of the disorder, more blood stays in your lower body even after a person stands, causing the heart rate to race as it tries to get blood flowing again). It’s unclear whether Porzingis’ current health issue is related.
The Warriors bet on Porzingis’ health this summer, giving him a two-year, $40 million extension. He was traded to the Warriors from the Hawks at last February’s deadline, but due to health concerns, he only played in 15 games. When he did, he averaged 16.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.
On a team where Steve Kerr has said he wants to play a lot of five-out basketball, Porzingis is key to making that work.
The Warriors also announced that both Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody have progressed to “light on-court activities” as they recover from their knee injuries. While both are expected to miss the start of the season, it’s a positive sign for Golden State that both are progressing.
