With the short All-Star break coming to a close, many teams are now preparing to start the second half of the season. The Golden State Warriors are set to face off against the Boston Celtics on Thursday.
With only 27 games remaining in their regular season, the Warriors are looking to fight for a playoff spot. However, one of the biggest questions right now is if the team will be complete to start the second half. Will Kristaps Porzingis be ready?
Latest Update on Big Man Kristaps Porzingis
On the day of the NBA trade deadline, Porzingis was traded to the Warriors for Buddy Hield and Jonathan Kuminga. Since his arrival, Porzingis has yet to suit up for Golden State. With that in mind, many are wondering if he’s ready to play on Thursday.
After missing 17 consecutive games for the Atlanta Hawks and Warriors combined, Porzingis is finally ready to make his return to the hardwood and debut as part of Golden State.
According to NBA insider Anthony Slater, Porzingis practiced with the Warriors on Wednesday and participated in their full workout sessions. While the Latvian big man is listed as questionable on the injury report, all signs point to him playing.
During a post-workout interview, Slater told reporters that he plans on playing against the Celtics on Thursday.
“Kristaps Porzingis said he’s ‘back at it’ tomorrow vs. Celtics,” Slater reported on X. “Team listing him as questionable, so he didn’t want to say for certain, but it’s clear he plans to make his Warriors debut.”
Porzingis then discussed how he’s looking forward to playing with his new team on Thursday.
“I like the offense. I like the simplicity. I like the freedom,” Porzingis said.
Kristaps then talked about how it’ll be weird facing the Celtics after helping them win a championship in 2024. He never once thought the day would come that he’d have to face Boston.
Despite the nostalgic sentiment that will kick in on Thursday, Porzingis is looking forward to forging new bonds with his new team. He briefly talked about how he’s already establishing a new connection with Draymond Green and gave the Warriors veteran his flowers.
“Draymond is super experienced,” Porzingis said. “He’s very vocal. I love Draymond, man. I can see how important he is to this group.”
According to reports, Porzingis is set to come off the bench in his debut game as a Warrior. Depending on how the next few games turn out, it’s possible that he might be awarded the starting position if deemed necessary.
