The Golden State Warriors took a major risk in bringing in Kristaps Porzingis at the trade deadline. Throughout his career, he's missed an exorbitant amount of time due to injury, and in recent years, he's dealt with an illness that has severely limited his availability.
But if the gamble paid off, it had potential to be one of the best moves of the season for any team. Porzingis possesses the floor-spacing and rim-protecting skill-set the Warriors have long attempted to pair with Stephen Curry. Even with Jimmy Butler out for the remainder for the season, a strong finish for Porzingis could give Golden State ample reason to bring him back on a cheaper contract this offseason.
Things looked dire at first. Porzingis played just 17 minutes in his first Warriors appearance before being sidelined for the next six games due to illness. Since that time, though, he's remained largely available, putting up the sort of production Golden State expected out of him.
Now, in a recent exclusive interview with Nick Friedell at The Athletic, Porzingis gave Warriors fans a reason to hope for his return as a free agent this offseason. Although he did not entirely commit to Golden State, he did remark on how integral Rick Celebrini and the Warriors' training staff have been in his return to health.
Kristaps Porzingis needs a staff that can keep him healthy, and the Warriors provide exactly that
First, when asked about remaining in Golden State, Porzingis remained non-committal, stating he'd like to see what the open market holds for him.
"Of course, it would be nice for me to go ahead and say, ‘Yes, I want to continue here,’ and this and that... But the reality is I didn’t have a good year at all. I barely showed what I’m capable of. And so I have to see what’s out there.”- Kristaps Porzingis
In some ways, Porzingis' comments about his inconsistencies are accurate. But through 12 games with Golden State, he's averaging 17.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists while shooting 34.4% from beyond the arc. It's clear he's ramping up, but it's also clear he still has a lot of the offensive juice that has made him such a tantalizing player throughout his career.
The more important quote, however, came in Porzingis' celebration of the Warriors' training staff.
"That’s definitely (something) I have to take into account. I believe I’m in incredible hands here. And that means something. When you have a really strong staff with somebody like me, maybe that’s had some injuries throughout their career … to be in the best hands, it makes a difference for me to stay out there healthy."
When the Warriors traded for Porzingis, they made it publicly clear that they thought they could keep him healthy. So far, they've mostly succeeded.
As good as Porzingis has been when he's been available, any chance he has of sticking around in the NBA rests on his continued health. If he believes Golden State is the best organization for him to achieve that with, the only thing that makes sense is for him to return this offseason.