The Golden State Warriors' most obvious concern entering the regular season is the continued doubt surrounding the status of Kristaps Porzingis.
Although Porzingis finally arrived at the team's training facility yesterday, there was no update on a timetable for his return, and Golden State has yet to publicly announce what his undisclosed health issue is. That's likely out of respect for the player, and that's a completely reasonable stance for the organization to take. But it makes analyzing the Warriors' prospects over the early portions of the regular season a difficult task.
This rotation simply isn't the same without Porzingis. He's meant to function not only as a defensive hub in Frank Vogel's new scheme but also as their true secondary offensive option next to Stephen Curry.
The Warriors likely have enough to at least partially re-work those responsibilities on both ends of the court. Yaxel Lendeborg looks like a true two-way threat, and it's evident they're going to try to squeeze some big-man minutes out of the aging Draymond Green. Until Porzingis returns, though, this roster won't be able to even approach its true ceiling.
Where Porzingis' absence creates the biggest concern, though, is in the big man rotation. Al Horford has already dealt with minor health issues, and it seems almost guaranteed that Charles Bassey and Graham Ike are going to need to take on major minutes at the start of the season.
Although neither is a true subsitute for Porzingis, both are starting to look the part of rotational centers more and more with each passing game.
Charles Bassey and Graham Ike, at the very least, can function as viable rotational centers for the Warriors
Last night's matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers, more than any other game this preseason, gave us a glimpse of what things may look like in a regular-season situation without Porzingis. Of course, neither Horford nor Green played as both veterans took a rest day, and that left Bassey and Ike as the Warriors' two primary centers.
There were some minutes where Steve Kerr went full-on small ball, using Lendeborg as Golden State's largest player on the court, and that seems to be a viable option, in certain scenarios, as the Warriors enter the regular season. But the large bulk of those minutes—a combined 39—went to Bassey and Ike, and they managed to justify the enhanced opportunities they were given.
Bassey went for eight points, 12 rebounds, one assist, and three blocks on the night while knocking down three of his five attempts from the field. Ike, while less impactful, still looked confident—posting six points and three rebounds while going 2-of-3 from the field.
That level of offensive production isn't going to be enough, on its own, to make up for Porzingis' absence. It won't be enough even with Horford in the fold.
But the Warriors, as long as Porzingis is out, need to simply hope for this combination of players to all consistently play the role of center, helping to anchor the defense, consistently grab rebounds, and score on the interior without jeopardizing the viability of the rotation as a whole. Bassey has done that consistently throughout the preseason, rolling to the rim with strength and displaying the same level of constant energy we saw from him last season. Ike is obviously more limited in terms of his impact, but he was able to perform that function, at a basic level, as well on Tuesday night.
Most importantly, the Lakers big men—with a combination of Walker Kessler, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Kevon Looney, and Rafael Castro—posted a total of 25 points in the matchup. The Lakers' poor offensive performance was largely a result of inconsistent 3-point shooting, but it's clear that Bassey and Ike aren't necessarily immediate, glaring defensive liabilities to be exploited on a night-to-night basis.
That duo, of course, has limited viability during the regular season, and there will be teams who can consistently exploit their lack of mobility on the defensive end. But the most the Warriors can hope for is a short absence for Porzingis and viable center play in his stead.
It looks like they may very well get at least the latter half of that equation.
Add us as a preferred source on Google