We should've known that injury concerns would be coming for this Golden State Warriors sooner rather than later. We simply weren't expecting them to pick up before the preseason even started.
On virtually the eve of training camp, Steve Kerr broke the news that the Warriors' starting center, Kristaps Porzingis, would be sidelined for the start of training camp and would be considered day-to-day for the preseason. But with Golden State now having played three preseason matchups, there's still been no concrete update on—and worse, no sight of—Porzingis.
It feels unrealistic, at this point, to imagine that Porzingis will be ready to go for the start of the regular season.
This, of course, affects the Warriors heavily on the offensive end of the court. With Jimmy Butler out, they were going to rely on Porzingis to be a consistent second option alongside Stephen Curry, sinking his perimeter shots consistently and helping provide the team with a potent threat on the interior.
But perhaps the greater deficit for the Warriors, in Porzingis' absence, will come on the defensive end of the floor. Frank Vogel, who is replacing Terry Stotts as Kerr's lead assistant, has been tasked with rehabilitating Golden State's defense with an eye toward his aggressive perimeter and rim protection-oriented scheme.
Porzingis' absence undoubtedly leaves a major hole in that plan from the jump.
Kristaps Porzingis is the key to the Warriors' defensive approach this season—and they need him back ASAP
From a pure rotational perspective, Golden State at least has the bodies to endure an absence from Porzingis. Although Al Horford is currently dealing with a minor ailment, there's been no indication he won't be ready to go for the start of the regular season. Even if the Warriors decide to start games small with Draymond Green at center, you can expect some major minutes out of him early in the season until it's otherwise indicated by the Warriors staff.
Beyond that, they also have Charles Bassey and two-way center Graham Ike in the fold. Bassey has looked more confident than ever in his three preseason outings with the Warriors, and Ike can at least provide some traditional rebounding minutes when he's called upon.
But none of those players possess the unique blend of skill sets that Porzingis does when he's at his best. Not only is Porzingis more than tall enough to take on other team's centers on the interior, he's capable of consistently hitting his shots from beyond the arc—which will be vital in the Warriors' new five-out focused offensive scheme.
The other end of the court, though, will be just as important for Golden State if they want to stay afloat in the Western Conference playoff race this season. The Warriors finished 16th in defensive rating in 2025-26. That's a solid number considering their injuries, but it's a far cry from what we saw after the Jimmy Butler trade in 2024-25.
Vogel is tasked with re-establishing Golden State on that end of the court, and his scheme requires a presence like Porzingis in order for it to truly work its magic. His defensive approach focuses on consistent pressure from perimeter defenders, forcing opposing team's ball handlers into difficult choices and attempting to stifle their half-court actions. He generally is against excessive switching, and instead prefers to funnel opposing teams into disadvantageous looks. It also depends, though, on a solid rim protector to anchor everything in the middle.
In his last season as a head coach, in 2023-24 with the Phoenix Suns, he led a roster without much overall defensive talent to finish with the league's 13th-best defensive rating. That team didn't have much in the way of rim protection, with Jusuf Nurkic and Drew Eubanks as the primary centers. That, at the very least, is an encouraging sign for this Warriors team.
But imagine what Vogel can do with Melton, Lendeborg, Green, and Porzingis all on the court at the same time. It will be a quiet key to the Warriors' season, and Porzingis' return needs to come as soon as possible if the full potential of this roster is going to be unlocked.
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