Media day started in the worst way possible for the Golden State Warriors with confirmation that Kristaps Porzingis will be out indefinitely as he once again battles a health concern.
While general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. stopped short of declaring Porzingis would miss the start of the regular season, there has to be some doubt over the veteran center for opening night against the Los Angeles Lakers next month.
That outcome would throw the Warriors' lineup and rotation plans into chaos, and it could lead Steve Kerr back down the rabbit hole of starting Draymond Green at center in a risky move as the franchise tries to manage the 36-year-old over a long season.
Kristaps Porzingis illness forces Warriors to revisit risky Draymond Green move
There's still hope that Porzingis will be available come opening night, but he certainly won't be there for Golden State's first preseason game against the L.A Clippers on Sunday. That will provide the first indication of the Warriors' plans in a Porzingis-less situation, albeit in a far different environment to what we'll see come the regular season.
Without the former All-Star big man available, the Warriors will be left with Al Horford, Charles Bassey and Graham Ike as their three centers. The latter two are unproven and are still looking to secure their NBA futures, while Horford's on the other end of the spectrum where Golden State likely won't want to thrust the 40-year-old into a starting role when they're trying to manage his minutes.
Those limited options means the idea of starting small again with Green at center will surely be at the forefront of Kerr's thinking. The Warriors started that way last season, opening with the forward trio of Green, Jimmy Butler and Jonathan Kuminga. It worked on opening night, but not for much longer afterwards.
Do Golden State want to enter another season with a 6'6" aging Green at center? They should have moved past this as a possibility by this point, yet Porzingis' fragility means it might have to be the fallback plan when the Latvian misses games.
Warriors can answer starting lineup question by sliding Draymond Green to center
The biggest positive for sliding Green to center is that it would answer one of Golden State's major lineup debates entering the season -- should Yaxel Lendeborg or Gui Santos join Green in the other forward spot?
Suddenly, if/when Porzingis is unavailable, there could be room for all three. That would allow the Warriors to play a little more uptempo, with greater defensive versatility, and with multiple ball-handlers in the starting lineup. With Santos standing at 6'8" and Lendeborg a big 6'9", it would still prove a bigger frontcourt than what we've seen at times in recent years.
Make no mistake though, Porzingis missing opening night would be a major blow to the Warriors as they navigate the waters already without Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody. Green would have been hoping to enter the final phase of his career without starting center minutes, but here we are again at the start of training camp.
Add us as a preferred source on Google