Steve Kerr Opens Up On Kristaps Porzingis And Early Season Turnaround For Warriors
· Yahoo Sports
Veteran big man Kristaps Porzingis came into this season with high hopes and big expectations. At 31 years old, these were supposed to be KP’s best years on the court, but reality has altered his plans in a way he never saw coming.
Due to complications related to POTS, Poringis didn’t even get to play a game this season before announcing his indefinite hiatus from the league. The announcement, which came earlier this week, sparked countless reactions online, but Kerr only recently made a public response, where he kept the message relatively short and sweet.
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“We texted each other. Obviously, wish him well and hoping for the best for him,” said Kerr. “He’s made his decision, and there’s not a whole lot else to say.”
With averages of 16.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.6 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game on 44.6% shooting last season, all the signs were looking positive for Porzingis’ health, and the Warriors saw enough to sign him to a two-year deal (partially guaranteed). While they knew he was suffering from POTS at the time, nobody knew the severity of Porzingis’ suffering. Now, his career is all but over, and the Warriors have to move on without him.
While it would have been easy for Kerr to get emotional, there’s too much at stake for him to afford any distractions. With a roster eager and ready to win, the legendary coach is done wasting time on matters outside of his control, and that shift could help explain their recent turnaround. As winners of six straight games, the Warriors have picked up a lot of momentum following a 0-3 start, and Kerr says the difference is night and day.
“It starts with the offense. I would say that over the five-game winning streak, we’ve done a better job of limiting turnovers,” Kerr added. “We learned from those first two games against the Lakers and Memphis, and our fundamentals in terms of what we’re trying to do have improved a lot. I think it’s both: our fundamentals are better, and we’re taking care of the ball so we’re not as vulnerable.”
Losing such an important rotation player typically translates to a downgrade in contention status, but the Warriors have some ways to mitigate their losses, and they will leave no stone unturned. Arguably, the clearest path to avoiding disaster is outright trading Porzingis for win-now role players. His two-year contract (which will be forfeited when he retires) makes him an ideal trade piece for teams looking to free up cap space or improve financial flexibility.
It’s unclear what kind of player the Warriors have in mind as a potential Porzingis replacement, but they aren’t going to sit around and wait for an answer. As they navigate the market, they will keep fighting for Western Conference supremacy, with or without Porzingis. Fortunately, they’re moving in the right direction without him, and Kerr says it’s all because of their attention to detail. With the Dubs making all the little plays and perfecting the fundamentals, they have found a rhythm that could flip their whole trajectory in the Western Conference.