The Golden State Warriors have been dealing with some injuries over the past few weeks, as Stephen Curry is still out with a knee injury. Another player sidelined was Kristaps Porzingis, who has been battling his illness for most of the season. Luckily for the Warriors, he was able to match that in their latest game against the Oklahoma City Thunder and finished with 9 points, five rebounds and five assists.
According to ESPN's Anthony Slater, the Warriors want to be cautious about how much they extend Porzingis, and they have a plan for the team's upcoming back-to-back.
"The Warriors' current plan is to rest Kristaps Porzingis on Monday night in Utah and play him at home against the Bulls on Tuesday. He clocked up 23 minutes tonight and told Kerr after the game he felt fine," Slater wrote on Twitter.
Steve Kerr was impressed with what he saw from Porzingis against the Thunder.
"I thought he looked like a guy who hasn't played with any rhythm at all," Kerr said cheekily after the game.
"But I thought he looked good physically. It's a really encouraging night for him to play 23 minutes. I talked to him after the game, said he felt good. And it was really fun to watch him. You can see what kind of weapon he is, the shape he gives us. Obviously, we are." [still] Figuring out the combinations, what kind of activities we want to run. With him and for him. It's going to take some time, but it's really encouraging to see him there.”
Porzingis said after the game that he was optimistic he would stay healthy moving forward.
"Honestly, I'm confident I'll stay healthy," Porzingis said. "This is what I really feel. Not to sell anything because I know I've been in and out again and again. But this time I really feel that way."
Porzingis being healthy will be important for the Warriors this season as they try to make the playoffs.
