Porzingis Is Out Indefinitely. Tonight Is Horford's Answer.
Kristaps Porzingis is out indefinitely with an unexplained health issue, and tonight's preseason opener at the Clippers is the first real test of whether Al Horford can hold the center spot until he's back.
NBC Sports Bay Area reported today that Steve Kerr detailed his minutes plan for tonight's opener and what he wants from Draymond Green this season. It's the first of four preseason games in six days, with the record staying at 0-0 until any of them count.
Kerr's Plan for Tonight, and for Draymond
Kerr's plan, reported by Dalton Johnson, covers how he'll split minutes tonight and what he wants to see from Green this season. Green, 36 and starting his 14th year on this roster, remains the one lineup spot nobody in camp is debating, even with three others still open.
Porzingis Out, Horford In
Porzingis has been out indefinitely since Anthony Slater's September 28 report of a health issue, with no diagnosis or timeline given since. That hands the center spot tonight to Al Horford, 40 and nineteen years into his career, in the exact insurance role NBC Sports Bay Area's Monte Poole described him filling behind Porzingis.
Health Problems on Both Benches
The Clippers arrive short-handed too: Tyronn Lue is without Brandon Ingram (Achilles) and Jordan Miller (shoulder), with Bradley Beal and Kobe Sanders day-to-day. Golden State plays the Lakers Tuesday on NBA TV, the Trail Blazers Wednesday on NBA TV, then the Kings on October 10, with the record staying 0-0 until the regular-season opener October 21 at the Lakers.
The Number Behind the Urgency
Last season's Warriors finished 37-45, 20th in the league in point differential per 100 possessions at -0.5, with an offense ranked 19th and a defense ranked 16th. That gap is why Horford's audition matters, and why Porzingis' health issue, still undiagnosed in public since Slater's September 28 report, is the open question hanging over this whole week.
Why is Al Horford starting at center for the Warriors tonight?
Kristaps Porzingis is out indefinitely with a health issue first reported September 28, so Horford, 40 and nineteen years into his career, fills the center spot for tonight's preseason opener at the Clippers.
What's wrong with Kristaps Porzingis?
No diagnosis has been made public. Anthony Slater reported September 28 that Porzingis is out indefinitely with a health issue, and no further detail has come since.
