One of the biggest storylines surrounding the Golden State Warriors as they begin the preseason is the mysterious absence of Kristaps Porzingis. Obviously, first and foremost the hope is that Porzingis is alright, but if he is out with a similar issue to the one that has plagued him the last few years, there is really no one to blame other than general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr.
Bringing back Porzingis was part of Dunleavy’s plan to essentially run back the same team that won 37 games last season. It was always a risky gambit considering just how old and injury-prone the roster is, but Porzingis was arguably the riskiest of the bunch.
The big man played in 32 games last season and 42 games the year before that, due in large part to his POTS which involves respiratory and fatigue issues which obviously makes it hard for him to play.
We obviously don’t want to speculate on what he's dealing with this time around, but having that issue and dealing with other ailments always meant that his availability would be somewhat in question going forward.
Despite this, Dunleavy felt comfortable giving Porzingis a two-year, $40 million deal in the offseason. It’s no secret to anyone that Porzingis can be really effective when he’s available and on the floor. He averaged 16 points per game with Golden State and was a threat both inside the paint and beyond the arc.
Warriors rolled the dice on Porzingis and it's not clear if it was worth it
Yet with how unreliable he’s been, through no fault of his own given his injuries and illnesses, it’s still something the front office has to be cognizant of, both trading for and signing him was a real roll of the dice especially since they were planning on the center being a big part of their offense.
Now the Warriors are stuck though. One hopes whatever issue Porzingis is dealing with will not plague him the entire season, but one has to be realistic. If they can get 50 games out of him that would be a minor miracle, and they almost have to view any time with him on the floor as something of a bonus.
Dunleavy was roundly criticized for his offseason approach and this whole Porzingis situation is a manifestation of what many feared when the team essentially just decided to run it back from last year. Maybe Porzingis will be fine and everything will work out, but this is an ominous sign and doesn't make Dunleavy’s plan seem all that wise.
Add us as a preferred source on Google