Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr provided updates on his team’s health and rotations during a Wednesday press conference ahead of Thursday’s game against the Boston Celtics at Chase Center.
Kerr confirmed that Stephen Curry will miss the game, saying, “Steph did not practice today. He’s going to be out tomorrow. He is going to be evaluated tonight by our training staff, but just wasn’t where he needed to be to go through the scrimmage.” He added that Curry’s recovery is being closely monitored: “Our training staff will continue to work with him and we’ll see where it goes.”
Kristaps Porzingis, acquired in a recent trade, is expected to contribute despite limited practice time. Kerr said, “He’ll be up to speed. Most of it is conceptual. He’s a basketball player. He understands where to be, spacing, all that kind of stuff.” On Porzingis’ defensive impact, Kerr highlighted, “Just the size alone is going to be a welcome addition. We’re obviously a pretty small team, so it’s great to have his size and he’s very versatile.”
The coach also detailed how Porzingis’ scoring tendencies differ from Jimmy Butler’s. “Kristaps is really a scorer in the mid-post, low-post, turn and face, shoot, draw a foul. Jimmy drives frequently all the way to the rim, draws the defense in, then looks to pass. They’re very different players, and the spacing has to allow for that.”
On lineup adjustments, Kerr explained, “Starting Al [Horford] and Draymond [Green] with Steph works. Without Steph, we’ll have to go game by game. Tomorrow, Al won’t start, Draymond will be at the five.” He also stressed the importance of maintaining defensive consistency: “We’ve got to be a really good defensive team, which I think we have been all year. We’ve got to lean on our defense and turn some possessions into easy points.”
With 27 games remaining in the regular season, Kerr emphasized the focus on playoff preparation: “It’s all about the playoffs this year. The process is the most important thing. Recognizing how we have to win games and what we have to accomplish within that process.”
Kerr discussed young players like Brandin Podziemski, noting the benefit of the All-Star break: “I think the All-Star break will have been really good for him. Young players need those four or five days to recharge. BP has impacted winning for us for three years and that will continue.”
On Golden State’s postseason goals, Kerr said, “A top six seed is still a goal for sure. It’s not an expectation given the standings, but that would still be the target with basically a third of the season left.”
Thursday’s matchup will test the Warriors’ depth as they navigate multiple injuries. Boston enters the game without Jayson Tatum, relying heavily on Jaylen Brown, while Golden State will be without Curry, Seth Curry, and potentially Butler, making Kerr’s lineup decisions and Porzingis’ integration crucial.
