Kerr Wants Porzingis's Health Off the Daily Docket
Steve Kerr is asking the beat to stop treating an unexplained absence as daily news, even as Golden State hosts Portland tonight still missing him.
The Warriors face the Trail Blazers again tonight, three weeks after losing to them in Portland, with Kristaps Porzingis still out and no new detail on his health. Draymond Green and Al Horford, both rested since midweek, are listed to return today, giving Kerr two lineup answers even as the bigger one stays unresolved.
The Request
Steve Kerr told The Athletic he doesn't want Porzingis's status turning into a daily discussion, a line drawn four weeks into an absence nobody has fully explained. Anthony Slater first reported the issue September 28, and NBC Sports Bay Area reported October 14 that Porzingis would stay out indefinitely but remain around the group after meeting with Mike Dunleavy and Rick Celebrini. Today's injury report made it official: undisclosed, out, with an estimated return of November 9.
Two Returns, Maybe
Green and Al Horford both sat out for rest earlier this week, and both carry an estimated return of today. If either suits up against Portland, Kerr gets back a piece of the frontcourt rotation he's had to improvise around all preseason, even as the frontcourt's most expensive addition stays unavailable.
The Rematch
Golden State lost at Portland 118-123 on October 7, a game Miles Kelly and Dalen Terry carried before Kelly was waived four days later. The Warriors have since won twice, beating Sacramento 111-106 and the Lakers 101-89, Podziemski and Yaxel Lendeborg scoring 17 apiece in the latter. Tonight is the chance to even the preseason series instead of just padding a 2-2 record.
What's Actually Being Measured
Nothing about tonight settles Porzingis's health, and Kerr's request won't stop the questions until there's an answer to give. What the game actually tests is whether this group can keep winning preseason minutes shorthanded in the frontcourt, a rehearsal for a regular season that opens in five days at the Lakers with the same uncertainty still attached.
Is Kristaps Porzingis playing tonight against the Trail Blazers?
No. Porzingis remains out indefinitely with an undisclosed issue first reported September 28, and the Warriors now list an estimated return of November 9.
Will Draymond Green play against Portland?
He's listed as day-to-day with an estimated return of today, October 16, after sitting out this week for rest, so he's a possible return tonight along with Al Horford.
