The honeymoon phase after trades in the NBA is real. Look at what James Harden did over the past week in Cleveland. Golden State Warriors fans haven't been able to experience that yet with Kristaps Porziņġis, and even when he does return, there probably won't be a honeymoon phase.
Fans hope that when Porziņġis does make his debut, he won't deal with any major setbacks through the end of the season. Golden State doesn't have time to waste — literally — so it needs KP to be at his best, whatever that might be, for it to have a shot to try to make a playoff run. It would also benefit him, as he's on an expiring contract and will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
It would be great if Porziņġis' time in the Bay began with sunshine and rainbows, but we're already past that point. The Warriors are eighth in the West at the All-Star break, three games behind the No. 7 Suns, and 4.5 games back from the No. 6 Timberwolves. They are 2.5 games ahead of the No. 9 Trail Blazers and No. 10 Clippers.
Expectations for Warriors' Kristaps Porziņġis are too high
Golden State needs everything that KP can give it, and even then, that probably won't be enough. It's unreasonable, too, to expect Porziņġis to step in and be the kind of savior that Giannis Antetokounmpo would've been if the Warriors had gotten him before the deadline.
Porziņģis isn't at Giannis' level (not that you needed a reminder, but just in case), and he played only 17 games for Atlanta this season. The last game he played for the Hawks was on Jan. 7 due to Achilles tendinitis. The mystery illness that caused him to miss significant time last season in Boston, which we know now is POTS, led to him also missing time this season.
The earliest that KP can make his Warriors debut after the break is on Feb. 19, when they host the Celtics, his former team. Three nights after that, they'll host Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets. Golden State will then go on a two-game road trip to play New Orleans and Memphis, returning to Chase Center on Feb. 28 to play against the Lakers.
What that means is Porziņģis should play before the end of the month, but even when he does, he'll be on a minute restriction. The Warriors aren't going to throw him out there for 48 minutes and wish him luck, although they might wish they could. Not only has he not played in a few weeks, but they don't want him to get injured again.
Steve Kerr did say that he doesn't think Golden State would've traded for KP without believing that the center would be healthy and available. That is a given. The Warriors needed someone to help them win now, and while Porziņģis can be a positive for them, he has to stay on the floor. That would be more of a win than any honeymoon phase.