Steve Kerr states Warriors were ‘caught off guard' by Kristaps Porziņģis absence

Steve Kerr states Warriors were ‘caught off guard' by Kristaps Porziņģis absence originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors are 2-3 and looking to pick up their third straight win when they take on the Los Angeles Lakers at home on Friday night. But the team is navigating the early part of the season without one of their key players, big man Kristaps Porziņģis.

Porziņģis missed all of training camp after it was revealed that he is dealing with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), a condition that affects his heart. Golden State is getting by without him and moving forward. But when his absence was first announced, it caught the team off guard.

“We were definitely caught off guard by it in that we were in communication with him over the summer, and it seemed like everything was in a good place right up until training camp,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said on 95.7 The Game’s “Willard & Dibs.” “And then obviously things went south. Since the start of camp, when he was not here and we had to move forward, I haven’t given it a whole lot of thought to be honest, because we’re just busy. We have to take every single day and get our team ready for the next game.

“The days are full, the schedule is full, and so I check in with Kristaps occasionally to see how he’s doing. But we’re moving forward, and that’s all we can do. I like our young bigs, Graham [Ike] and Charles [Bassey]. We’re excited about playing those guys, and the opportunity that they’re going to receive, but everything else is not my jurisdiction. That’s Mike’s [Dunleavy] and the front office’s, and I just come to practice and I look forward to coaching the guys every day. We’re competing and seeing what we can put together.”

"We have to take every single day and get our team ready for the next game. I check in with Kristaps occasionally to see how he's doing but we're moving forward and that's all we can do."

Steve Kerr says the Warriors have to move on without Kristaps Porzingis | @WillardAndDibspic.twitter.com/EC8Mc8NXaM

— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) October 30, 2026

Porziņģis’ basketball future is in doubt because of his condition, and despite signing a two-year, $40 million contract extension with the franchise this offseason, all options, including a trade, are on the table.

Porziņģis provides a big boost when healthy, though. In 15 games for the Warriors last season, he averaged 16.1 points and 5.3 rebounds, giving the franchise a true big man, something they have lacked in recent seasons. He was acquired in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks in February in exchange for guard Buddy Hield and forward Jonathan Kuminga.

Golden State is 2-3 so far this season without him, relying heavily on players like Yaxel Lendeborg to fill the void. Lendeborg, the No. 11 overall pick in this year’s draft, is averaging over 22 points through five games and is climbing considerably in the NBA Rookie of the Year odds. If the Warriors can keep getting strong performances from players like him, they will be alright even if Porziņģis does not return.

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