With Jimmy Butler remaining sidelined for the opening months of the season, much has been made of Kristaps Porzingis' responsibility and opportunity within the Golden State Warriors offense.
While that is the case, it does overshadow the exciting development with Porzingis on the defensive side of the floor under a new mastermind and coordinator in former Los Angeles Lakers coach Frank Vogel.
Warriors get exciting Kristaps Porzingis development ahead of season
The 7'3" Porzingis has been a notable shot-blocker and rim protector across his career, but didn't have too much impact on the defensive end following his acquisition from the Atlanta Hawks at the February mid-season trade deadline.
Perhaps that was simply down to his injury, health troubles and not being anywhere near full fitness, with a full offseason and training camp already giving Porzingis a greater chance of being a more impactful defender this season.
Yet it's Vogel's addition as the new lead assistant that is the most exciting aspect, having already declared his enthusiasm for how he could use the veteran center within his defensive schemes.
"I’m really excited about putting him in my defensive system. Because there’s a lot of details I believe in with my defensive system and how I use shot-blocking bigs that really gets a lot out of ’em on that side, and I really look forward to putting KP in those spots," Vogel said recently to Luca Evans of The San Francisco Chronicle.
Vogel led the Lakers to the NBA championship in 2020, before they led the league in defensive rating the following season with a big frontcourt featuring 10x All-Star Anthony Davis. With Porzingis, Draymond Green, Yaxel Lendeborg, Al Horford and Charles Bassey, the Warriors could put out big but versatile lineups that prioritize defense this season.
Kristaps Porzingis can add new element to Warriors defense
Part of the lure of Porzingis as a trade target in February wasn't just his offensive skillset and ability to score from all three levels, but also as the kind of shot-blocker Golden State haven't had since arguably Andrew Bogut a decade ago.
Porzingis averaged 1.1 blocks in his less than 24 minutes during 15 games after the trade. That should only elevate with more availability and Vogel's defensive influence, but it will be more about his overall impact as a rim protector than the raw numbers.
After falling to the 16th-ranked defense in the league last season, the Warriors will be hoping to bounce-back into being elite on that end of the floor, and Porzingis will undoubtedly play a key role in those hopes.
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