Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr offered a detailed breakdown Tuesday of how newly acquired Kristaps Porzingis fits into the team’s offensive structure.
“It’s a little different than our spacing around Jimmy…Kristaps is more of a scorer, shooter from iso spots,” Kerr said. “The biggest difference, I guess, that he provides is his post-ups. He’s a pretty good post-up player, especially against switches.”
The 7-foot-3 center, who was acquired at the trade deadline from Atlanta, gives Golden State a dimension it has lacked in recent seasons. Kerr emphasized that Porzingis can score from multiple areas without requiring a full system overhaul.
“You throw him the ball at the foul line, the elbows, even the low block, he can score in those spots,” Kerr said. “I’m actually more excited about having him in the split with somebody else having the ball.”
Golden State moved Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield in the deal and later sent Trayce Jackson-Davis to Toronto to complete the roster reshuffle. The franchise also lost Jimmy Butler for the season after an ACL tear, making frontcourt scoring a priority.
“One of the reasons every team wants a space 5 is because you don’t have to do a whole lot execution-wise,” Kerr said. “He can run pick-and-pops, and the defense has to honor that. It opens up the floor, it opens up driving lanes.”
With Stephen Curry scoring 27.2 points per contest and commanding defensive attention, a pick-and-pop partner who shoots 36.6 percent from three for his career changes spacing dynamics.
“So it’s not like you have to establish a new offense or put in any different sets and play calls,” Kerr added. “He should be pretty much plug-and-play.”
Porzingis has appeared in 17 games this season and is averaging 17.1 points and 5.1 rebounds in 24.3 minutes. Over 10 NBA seasons, he has posted 19.6 points and 7.7 rebounds per game while shooting 46.1 percent from the field.
The Latvian big man is currently sidelined with an Achilles issue but could make his debut Thursday against the Boston Celtics. His ability to punish switches in the post and stretch opposing centers to the perimeter aligns with Golden State’s drive-and-kick identity.
“Kristaps practiced today. He’s been here in San Francisco during the break, working out. He did everything today. He looked good. Moved well. So he’s close,” Kerr said.
“Steph did not practice today. He will scrimmage tomorrow. So both guys will scrimmage tomorrow and then we’ll make a final determination for Thursday against the Celtics,” he added.
At 29-26, the Warriors sit eighth in the Western Conference and are navigating a crowded playoff race.
